


Hardlight

by Slider (TemporalKnight)



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Alt-Power Taylor Hebert, F/F, F/M, Kayden is trying to be better, Lesbian Taylor, Mama Bear Kayden, Stepmother Kayden, Taylor takes initial drastic action
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:21:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 72,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24974500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TemporalKnight/pseuds/Slider
Summary: Danny decided to start dating again after Annette died and of course he winds up with one of the few former soldiers who tried to quit the Empire. Problem one? Taylor is gay and very not okay with having an ex-Nazi as an almost stepmother. Problem two? Kayden is actually a very good almost stepmother. An alternate trigger, coupled with a mother who is both present and caring, cause Brockton Bay politics to fall down a very different path.
Relationships: Kayden Anders | Purity/Danny Hebert, Taylor Hebert | Skitter | Weaver/Rune
Comments: 79
Kudos: 385





	1. Sunrise 01

_“Taylor…I think you went a bit too far…”  
“Bitch tried to murder me. Steal my friend and then try to kill me? Fuck her, she deserves this.”_  
  
 **Sunrise 01**  
  
Being gay in Brockton Bay, Nazi Capital of the US was hard.  
  
Being gay and going to Winslow, School Gang Capital of Brockton Bay was harder.  
  
Being gay at Winslow, in Brockton Bay, while living with your soon-to-be-Stepmother aka Purity was hardest.  
  
Kayden liked to say how Purity was reformed and separate from the Empire Eighty Eight, but she was biased - because _of course_ she would defend her alter ego. And I _lived_ with her. I saw the casual racism she espoused. I would give her credit for at least _trying_ , but she still believed in the Empire’s message. Even when she went out for her cape patrol she only ever targeted minorities. I didn’t even think she realized it. Which just made it all worse - I think.  
  
I constantly had to watch what I said about her so that she didn’t realize my preference for the finer sex. My dad may accidentally mention it, but I sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up.  
  
Because against my better judgement, I actually _liked_ Kayden. She was sweet, and she tried to look out for me, and she supported me and Dad. She was just _nice_. And that _sucked_. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to not care what she thought about me. But…I couldn’t, and I _did_ care.  
  
The one good thing about being gay in Winslow, with a Nazi-sympathizer for an almost stepmom…I knew where to look for the Empire members.  
  
I’d had a good idea of who they were beforehand, self-preservation and all that. But now I was _sure_. I had managed to subtly grill her enough that I could pick out the hangers-on and the ringleaders. I knew who got things done in Winslow, who had the pull to make things happen.  
  
I knew who I had to talk to.  
  
I gritted my teeth as I sighted in on my chosen target. This was my last chance to back out, and I already knew I wasn’t going to take it. The gum on my pants and the juice in my hair had started to wash away whatever doubts I'd had when I had walked into school. Sophia's gloating over how the next thing she did was going to be even _worse_ than the locker had taken a baseball bat to the remaining glimmer of resistance. No. I wasn’t going to stop. If no one was going to do anything, then I was going to have to do it myself. The police weren't touching her, the school wasn't touching her, the lawyers wouldn't take the case.  
  
I wasn't going to let her try and actually kill me for real the next time. She wasn't going to get to do that and walk away without a scratch. Something had to give and I couldn't huddle at home and hope that she decided to leave me alone and move onto someone else to torment instead.  
  
 _She isn't untouchable_. I had to stop in my walk and suppress the shudder that ran through me as I repeated that phrase over and over in my head. I had to believe that. And if Sophia could get it through her psychotic skull that _someone_ could hurt her despite Alan's protection, then...maybe she'd back off. Maybe she wouldn't think it was safe to escalate. This had to work. There was no other option. I couldn't even go after her myself; I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn't make it through the attempt without having another attack and no amount of pills would stop that.  
  
My dad probably would’ve been upset if he knew my plan. He would’ve yelled, then he would’ve pleaded, then he would’ve tried to make me feel guilty. Well fuck him. He started dating an openly racist and homophobic woman while _knowing_ I was a lesbian. He no longer had any right to make me feel guilty about talking to the fucking Empire assholes.  
  
Not that _I_ couldn't guilt myself over this in his place. I was turning to the fucking _Empire_? The same people who would happily hurt me if they knew about me? For _help_? My hands shook. I needed to reach for a minion, but instead I took a deep breath and pushed the urge down. No, I was going to do this. I had to. The enemy of my enemy wasn't my friend, but they could do what I couldn't. They could break through Sophia's protection and...I shook my head, setting a scowl on my face.  
  
I was going to survive this bitch. She wasn't going to get to kill me and walk away. I _was going to survive_. Whether or not I could live with myself afterwards was an entirely separate matter that I could deal with later. I forced myself to keep walking. I had hated and despised myself before. I could deal with adding one more weight onto the pile. One gigantic fucking weight that was going to shatter my back if I stopped to think about it, but that's why I couldn't stop to think. I just needed to do this and get it over with. Sophia was _bragging_ about her plans. I didn't have a choice. No choice. Kill or be killed.  
  
I could make sure they didn't go too far. Probably. I bit my lip and pushed down the need for my minion yet again.  
  
What would Kayden say if she knew? That thought almost froze me again, until I really considered it. If I told her everything, she would probably go to Kaiser and get it fixed for me. And then he would use that as leverage to pull her back into his fold. I didn’t want that. She may despise my sexuality, but she liked _me_ and I liked _her_. So no, I wasn’t going to throw her back to wolves. Not when I could do this myself with the same results. She apparently hated herself anyway. I knew Dad hated himself. Might as well make all three of us in the house follow suit right? Didn't everyone despise their own actions to a degree?  
  
The lunch bell had just rang as I leaned against the wall beside the local leader of the Empire recruiters. I pulled out my phone and started thumbing through pictures. “I have information for you,” I murmured out of the corner of my mouth. Fuck, fuck, fuck, too late now. I was committed.  
  
The brute - Eric? let’s go with Eric - nodded slightly and pulled out his own phone. “I’m listening.”  
  
“Did you hear about the thing with the locker from about three weeks back?”  
  
He snorted, swiping up on his device to cover the amusement. “Girl, you’re fucking famous. Of course I know about the thing. Heard some people laughing about the school brushing it under the rug earlier today even. Why, what of it?”  
  
“What if I told you that a black girl had been the one to shove me in there?”  
  
“I’d say that’s a dangerous thing for a black girl to do in this school, abusing a white girl and all.”  
  
“And what if I told you that it wasn’t the first time she did something like that? That she’s been the ringleader of a small gang set against me for almost a year and a half now. That she turned a proper white girl from my best friend into her bosom buddy and my arch-nemesis; all through her manipulations.” My stomach did cartwheels and I could feel bile rise in the back of my throat. This was too much. They'd go too far if I said this. But I'd already said it then hadn't I? I'd already said it and I was still talking.  
  
Eric frowned, the movements of his fingers slowing. “That is an impressive claim. Aren’t you Jewish? How do I know you don’t just have a grudge against this cunt? Maybe she said something wrong or tripped you.”  
  
I chuckled. Jewish. Of course they'd center on that, because of my name. Not that it was why my family had history there, no, just because my name is close to a slur. Still, at least we weren't really _any_ religion now. Better that they ask about that then the very _true_ rumors Sophia had started about me being gay. The Empire would never help a gay girl. They might help someone who wasn't any religion at all. Eric was supposed to be one of the better ones here anyway. He was supposed to be doing this to 'protect' people. “Oh she’s tripped me before. And shoulder checked me. And pushed me down the stairs. Lots of other things too. And my grandmother was Jewish yes, but my family doesn’t practice it. We stopped believing in God a long time ago. Never really done anything remotely religious.”  
  
I should've lied. Why didn't I lie? Why was this so _hard_? Why couldn't I breathe?  
  
The Nazi actually looked at me at that, his eyes narrowed. “Fair enough. But if this was that widespread, we’d have heard about it. The school would’ve done something. You’re not in a gang; I’m assuming neither is the black girl since we don’t have many Merchants here. The school would’ve done something visible against her at some point.”  
  
“My ex-friend’s dad is a lawyer. I think Sophia is using her connection to him to get the school and the police to leave her alone.”  
  
“Lawyer?”  
  
“ _Divorce_ lawyer. Funny, she always forgets to mention that part.”  
  
He chewed his tongue and turned back to his phone. “Why do you care now if she’s been doing it for so long?”  
  
“Fucking bitch tried to murder me by leaving me in that locker. And _no one cares_. The school didn’t even suspend her, let alone expel her. The police aren’t doing shit either. Now she's laughing in my face about how she could literally kill me tomorrow and no one would do anything to her. I’m... _done_ with sitting down and taking this. I can’t fight back myself. It's not really an option after the past few weeks. Even if by some miracle I was able to take her down for a few moments, I would freak out and she would get the upper hand and then she would _definitely_ follow through with her threat. And she'd get to walk away while I was dying in a ditch. I want this _fixed_ and I want her to _pay_. No one is willing to act, and I’m _done_ taking the high road. I'm done being afraid. I want to be able to sleep again.”  
  
Eric nodded. “Revenge then with a smattering a terror. Sure, yeah I get that. This is a big deal though if things are as bad as you say for as long as you say.”  
  
“I have proof.”  
  
His foot slipped down the wall at that and I heard his knuckles crack as his fist clenched. “Proof? And the pigs still wouldn’t do shit about it?”  
  
“Yeah. What’s your number? I’ll send you photos.”  
  
He shook his head and leaned over to pluck my phone out of my hands. “No paper trail, girl. Rule 1. In this folder?”  
  
“Yes.” I scowled at how he just assumed he had permission to handle my phone. He could’ve at least asked. Now I didn’t even have anything to pretend to be busy with. Now I didn't have anything to distract my thought from running in circles. Now I had to confront that I was literally talking to a fucking Nazi and actively asking for their help. I bit my tongue hard enough to taste blood. Sleep? I was never going to be able to sleep after this. I didn't deserve to be able to sleep after this.  
  
I barely even noticed as he passed the phone back to me a few seconds later.  
  
“You said Sophia. Sophia Hess? The track star?”  
  
“Yes. That might be another reason that Blackwell doesn’t want to do shit.”  
  
He snorted and shook his head. “Blackwell is a money-grubbing bitch. Pay her enough and she’ll ignore anything that happens. I could shank someone in the secretary’s office and unless someone else is directly watching me, she’d whistle and stroll right past. We’ll take of this.”  
  
A weight lifted off my shoulders and a smile graced my features. She wasn't going to get away free _again_. Someone was going to show her that she wasn't untouchable. She wouldn't try to kill me now. One way or another, I might just be free. “Thank you.”  
  
“I’m supposed to ask for a favor in return, but we should’ve been aware of this earlier. I've heard enough rumors about you before, but I brushed them off. This is partly on us for not stepping up to protect the right folks when we should’ve. Empire'll probably want something later on, if it's big I'll deal with it. If it's small like making a drop off though, that's going to be on you. You mostly get a freebie here Hebert; it won’t happen again.”  
  
She wasn't going to get away free. She wasn't going to get away free. She wasn't going to get away free. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat as I nodded. “I understand.”  
  
There was something I needed to do. Something I was supposed to say, to ask. What was it? I was...oh, right. Not going too far. I opened my mouth to start to talk again when Sophia lifted her head from her talk with Emma at their table and met my eyes. She leered at me and rapped the table with her fist while sliding closer to Emma.  
  
No. Fuck it. The Empire could do whatever they wanted. That psychopath was not going to get to try again with me without _something_ happening to her. She _did not get to walk away_. She did not get to make me curl up in fear of whatever horror she was going to bring down on me _next_ time. I could deal with my own disgust later. Right now, I needed to stay strong. I needed to survive.  
  
“Go. Get out of here, Hebert. I need to make some calls.”  
  
Nodding, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and pushed away from the wall. As I walked past the doors to the cafeteria, my eyes met Sophia’s and I couldn’t help the victorious smile that crossed my lips even as she frowned in confusion.  
  
Steal my best friend then try to actively kill me for giggles? Let’s see how you liked having the entire Empire come down on your ass.  
  
I was not going to be a victim anymore. I was _done_.  
  
Maybe if I kept thinking like that, I'd actually believe it instead of wanting to throw up.

* * *

My costume left quite a lot to be desired, but I was still hoarding my allowance for enough to buy something worthwhile. A white trench coat coupled with pale yellow gloves and an opera mask were going to have to be enough for now. I had managed to find a pair of white jeans roughly in my size too. The yellow pair I had been hoping for was just…far too small. Maybe if I had been a year or two younger, before I had hit my growth spurt. But definitely not now.  
  
I grimaced as I passed a particularly reflective bit of scrap in the Boat Graveyard; I looked like Purity would if she had gone for knockoff costume pieces. Ugh. That wasn’t what I had been aiming for. I should’ve tried this out back home. But the only full-length mirror was in the bathroom and I couldn’t justify bringing my costume into the bathroom. Kayden already was suspicious enough of my evening ‘runs’.  
  
Dad was clueless like usual, but she probably suspected something. I’d tried to time my practice sessions for when she was gone on her own patrols, but they weren’t regular enough so I kept messing it up.  
  
Ah well, if she hadn’t told us about her alter ego yet, then I certainly wasn’t going to be discussing my own with her. Not until she came right out and asked.  
  
Nobody was going to confuse me for her anyway. Not once my little minions got moving. Just because my minions were made of light, didn’t mean that people would assume I was Purity. Right?  
  
I shook my head and set off. Enough practice. It was time to do some good. After what I had just done, I _needed_ to help someone. I needed to be out here and making up for this morning. The scales probably couldn't be balanced, but I needed to try. And I would _not_ be going into ABB territory. I didn’t want there being any _chance_ of someone deciding that I was aligned with the Empire. It was bad enough that I had given into my fear and revenge and spoken with Eric. I needed to make up for that. If I could find some E88 goons that would be perfect. Or at least the Merchants. The drugs they peddled were destroying the city as much as the other two gangs.  
  
It would be safer with the Merchants too. They couldn’t call in backup like Hookwolf if things went sour. What the heck was Skidmark supposed to do? Throw shit at me? My minions would protect me from that easy enough. I had nothing to stop the heavy hitters with the Empire. I could probably take on Victor and Krieg without too many issues. But the giantesses and most of the others would likely straight up murder me if I annoyed them.  
  
Well maybe not the Valkyrie twins. Amazingly enough, they seemed to have a pretty good track record with holding back. Massive property damage, but few actual injuries or deaths where they were concerned.  
  
I’d love to pit myself against Rune, but I doubted my minions could get to her. I hadn’t figured out how to make my guys fly yet…Project for another time.  
  
“Aww, looky here, boys! We got a newbie wandering around.” I suppressed my groan at the voice coming from the alley on my right. I had gotten so consumed with my own thoughts, I had forgotten to actually _pay attention_ during my patrol. They were right, I was a newbie.  
  
“So cape girl, you looking to score anything? We could help you out there.” The speaker was disgusting. The smell wafting off of his clothes was making my eyes water and he was missing more teeth than he had in his mouth. And he was leering at me. So much _fun_. I should’ve gone to Empire territory after all…  
  
“What part of my costume implies that I’d want to buy drugs off of you?” I asked. “I am legitimately curious, because I obviously need to change it.”  
  
The leader of their group of four barked out a laugh. “Girlie, nobody bothers with this area. Not with Squealer hanging around the warehouse. You either must be stupid or you’re looking for a hit. Not the first time we’ve sold to capes.”  
  
Scowling I held up my hand. “I’m not here for your drugs. Well I _am_ here for your drugs, but I’m here to _arrest_ you and _confiscate_ your drugs for the police.”  
  
All four of them laughed this time. “Oh you poor kid. You are so out of your depth. Tell you what girlie, walk away and we’ll forget this ever happened.”  
  
“Fuck it, I’m done letting assholes walk over me,” I growled. I swiped my hand down and four vaguely humanoid minions burst into existence in front of me. They were about three feet tall, slightly portly, with a vague impression of curly hair on their head, and a pair of stubby wings sprouting from their backs. I’d tried to get cherubim but I couldn’t really make their faces well. Still, the mini-wings had really done the trick with giving them an overall cute impression - as long as I squinted a bit and was feeling very generous. Each minion was made solely of bright white light which made them hurt to look at directly, for anyone who wasn’t me at least. Despite being pure light, they were each very solid and had no issues with surging forward to grab for the men. One managed to avoid the grasp of my minions for a few seconds, yet I didn’t even have to dive into the thing’s mind and control it directly before it was able to catch the gang member.  
  
All told, it took me about seven seconds to subdue them all. Smirking, I walked up to the leader. He was laid out on the ground with his arms wrenched behind his back by my construct. I tapped his head with my glove. “So, how do I measure up now? Don’t underestimate a cape.”  
  
He just started to laugh, leaving me to push back to my feet and glance nervously around. “You seriously think we wouldn’t take precautions you little cocksucker? Have fun dealing with the Boss Lady!”  
  
“What?” I flipped my phone into my hand already starting to call the BBPD. The line rang once before I heard the motor from the next building. It sounded like a damn jet engine ramping up. My eyes widened and I stepped back off of the sidewalk. I could take Mush and Skidmark. Squealer though…would my minions be able to do _anything_ to her? Her vehicles were fucking _tanks_!  
  
Someone asked for my information over the phone, and Squealer’s vehicle tore through the flimsy metal covering the warehouse.  
  
“Help,” I squeaked into my phone. Thrusting it back into my pocket, I summoned more minions, nearly coating the street as I leaped backwards. The truck monster roared and spit as it twisted on its six ridiculously oversized tires turning to follow me. One of my minions jumped up to block the flamethrower and a second surged forward to try and attack the turret itself. That one was not successful and the minion that had blocked the fire exploded into sparkles as I dived out of the way. Another minion took its place covering me as more surged onto Squealer’s tank. I scrambled to my feet, more and more sparkles surrounding me as I started to run. The tank followed, crunching minions underfoot.  
  
How was she even able to _see_ through all of the light being thrown in her face as my minions died?! I made it three blocks before my breathing became a problem. The air was too hot thanks to the damn flames and I was gasping. I needed more cardio. Now I really wished some of my ‘jogs’ had been _actual_ jogs.  
  
There was another dull roar, that I just barely managed to dive out of the way of against a building’s wall as a bike surged past me. I looked back and saw Armsmaster’s motorcycle cut along the side of Squealer’s tank, his halberd extended and sweeping two of the four tires on that side.  
  
Wait, four tires on one side? The thing only had six total before! Fucking tinkers and their bullshit transforming mecha monsters!  
  
The flame turret finally fell quiescent as the tank popped out yet _more_ wheels, the ones that Armsmaster had slashed falling off. The roar from the tank increased even further, and I had to clap my hands over my ears as it surged ahead, gaining speed at a truly ludicrous rate. It was gone from my sight almost before I had realized that Squealer had fled.  
  
Groaning at my aching head and the pain in my chest, I let most of the remaining minions vanish into sparkles, though I did grab one to squeeze to my chest for comfort as I turned to look for my savior. Maybe I hadn’t been ready to go out. Ugh. God, I was never going to get over this. Goodbye confidence. Hello inferiority issues. _Again_. Fucking hell, my _first_ patrol and I had to call for help!  
  
Armsmaster was off his bike, his halberd aimed at me, and his legs set wide. “You’re trying to be better. Don’t turn this into a fight.”  
  
Wait. What? “Um, hi?” Could he hear me? I could barely hear me. The noise of the damn tank was still ringing in my ears. Was I talking loud enough? Was I shouting? Fucking tinkers.  
  
“You are on shaky ground as it is! Stop building your attack and we can both leave to pursue Squealer!”  
  
“What? What attack?” I turned my head both ways, but I didn’t see anyone else. “I’m not - ”  
  
“You had your chance.” Armsmaster twisted his halberd and the head shot forward towards me on tiny rockets. I gasped and tried to stumble backwards but the head smashed through my minion, leaving sparkles surrounding me. The halberd bounced back from the impact, yet the rocket kept pushing it forward and the thing slammed into my chest, throwing me back into the wall of the nearby building. I had thought my chest was hurting before, now I could barely breathe through the pain. The halberd retracted and Armsmaster started walking towards me again, his halberd lowered and pointing straight at me.  
  
My eyes widened and I summoned more minions between him and me. I arrayed them all into a line. One could stop almost anything I’d tried so far but if I had to stop a damn _rocket halberd_ , I’d need a shit ton of minions between it and me. 20 of them probably wouldn’t be enough but it might help give me time to summon more. “Wait!” I shouted. Or tried to. My chest was hurting too much to scream and I wound up devolving into a coughing fit before I had gotten much of anything out.  
  
Armsmaster took aim again, his halberd centered on my minion line. “I don’t know how you’ve been able to stop your blasts, but I’m not going to give you the chance to attack me. Not after tonight’s events!” He roared and the rocket surged forward again. I yelped and tried to dive to the side. My minion line died again and the halberd head embedded itself into the brick just above me. Thank god for blinding minion deaths. That would’ve caved in my chest!  
  
I tried to shout again and wound up just coughing again. Armsmaster’s halberd retracted and he sighted in on me. I didn’t even have time to summon more minions before he fired.  
  
And the halberd head vanished in a blaze of glory as a beam of pure light slammed into it from above. I goggled, only vaguely realizing that that blast might well have saved my life. Turning my eyes up, I groaned as I saw Purity hovering in the air, one hand pointed at the ground where the halberd had exploded and the other directed at Armsmaster.  
  
Fuck.  
  
“ _You stupid fucking idiot! I’M PURITY! She’s a KID!_ ” she screamed. Armsmaster looked between me and Purity as she shouted. He sucked in a breath, his mouth nearly disappearing as his lips thinned.  
  
Tilting his head up at Purity he lowered the remains of his halberd to his side. “This doesn’t make…sense. She had light based abilities and a beam of light was slowly forming…”  
  
“SO WHAT?! Don’t they teach you to check your targets?! You nearly killed her!”  
  
He scowled. “She should not have been roaming the streets. There was a brutal attack on one of the Wards earlier. The entire Protectorate has been dispatched. This is _not_ the night to be going on a patrol if you are unaffiliated.”  
  
I finally managed to get enough air into my lungs to shout as I pulled myself back to my feet. “Fuck you! How am I supposed to know one of the Wards was hurt? I was _trying_ to call in that I caught some Merchants before Squealer nearly set me on fire, and then _you shot me_!”  
  
“I warned you to stop building up your attack,” he snapped.  
  
“I wasn’t attacking! I summon hardlight constructs! I was _holding_ it because my chest hurt and it feels good to hold the things! Look.” I gestured to my side and brought out one of my minions. It waved a pudgy hand in the air towards Armsmaster before I dismissed it in a flash of sparkles.  
  
Purity dropped to the ground, walking over to me and laying her hand on my chest. “Let me deal with this,” she murmured. I scowled, but nodded. “How bad is it?”  
  
“Hurts like hell, but I can breath again.”  
  
“Do you need Panacea?”  
  
“No, I’ve - ” I cut off and shut my eyes. No. I was not a victim anymore. “I’ve been hurt worse.”  
  
Purity’s hand clenched into a fist for a moment before she turned back to Armsmaster. “She’s alright no thanks to you. Don’t you have a villain to catch?”  
  
He stared at Purity for several seconds before snapping his wrist to the side. The remains of his halberd closed into a small baton and he started walking towards us. Stopping just within arms reach of us, he sighed. “I am sorry. We are all on edge tonight. My reactions should only serve to prove that you should not be out on the streets alone. It is - dangerous.”  
  
“The Wards pitch? _Now_? After you nearly kill her? Suddenly I see why you people always send Miss Militia to talk with me.”  
  
Armsmaster scowled. “As I just stated: the streets are dangerous. She wouldn’t even be working with me. I have very little to do with the Wards.” He looked over Purity’s shoulder to fix his gaze on me. “At least consider it. Call the PRT, or the Protectorate if you decide you want to hear more. The people you talk to will do a far better job of this than I have.” A business card - an actual _business card_ \- shot from his gauntlet into his fingers.  
  
Purity snatched it away, still scowling. “I rather doubt she’ll be interested any more.”  
  
“All the same.” He stepped back. “I recommend you go home. It’s…safer.”  
  
I didn’t dignify that with a response. I was going to have to burn the panties with his face on now.  
  
Armsmaster just turned on his heel and stalked back to his bike. Once the sounds of the motorcycle had vanished, Purity turned to me.  
  
“You and I need to have a _long_ talk.”  
  
Groaning, my head dropped to my chest and I cuddled a new minion. “Fuck.”


	2. Sunrise 02

_"Why are you being a good mom! I want to hate you!"  
"That sounds rather selfish, Taylor. Perhaps I should ground you? That's what moms do, right?"_  
  
 **Sunrise 02**  
  
“Your father is having a poker night with Alan, he won’t be home for hours, now stop complaining.”  
  
I scowled as Kayden neatly marched me into the living with her hand on my shoulder, both of our costumes tucked away in her duffel bag. “Did you arrange that intentionally?” I snapped.  
  
She sighed and rubbed her temples. “ _Of course_ I did, Taylor. You go for a ‘run’ the night that a Ward gets beaten so bad she was almost killed?” She actually did the finger quotes. I had to stoke the fires of my anger to avoid blushing in embarrassment. “Did you seriously expect me to just let you go out alone without someone watching your back? Now get your shirt off and let me see your chest. I need to see how bad that hit was and if I should be calling Othala for a favor.”  
  
I didn’t have to pretend to be angry at that comment. Free healing from a Nazi; no wonder she gave up on pushing for Panacea so easily. “If you were watching me the whole fucking time, why wait until Armsmaster nearly killed me for the third time before intervening?”  
  
She grimaced and looked to the floor. “I was…I had gotten a call that’s…rather hard to completely ignore. You were doing fine. You had just taken care of the druggies, I thought it would be fine to back off for a minute.”  
  
“ _Kaiser_ called you,” I snarled. Fucking hell why did I still _care_ what she thought?! She was still taking calls from the Nazi King of the Bay and had his personal healer on speed dial!  
  
“Yes,” she said. Her hand dropped and she shook her head. Fuck, why did she have to look so _sad_!? “Things aren’t always black and white, Taylor. He was a part of my life for a long time. Longer than you probably suspect. When he called, I…I had to at least listen.”  
  
“You keep trying to say you’re changed, yet you still take his calls. You’re a fucking hypocrite, Kayden!”  
  
She sank into the couch. “I know. But he doesn’t just call in order to chat, Taylor. He calls when there is something I need to know about cape business. Like tonight. He was letting me know that the Protectorate was highly likely to be hunting for me.”  
  
“That doesn’t make any sense at all,” I spat. “Why would they be going after you? It’s not like most of them can hurt you anyway!”  
  
“Taylor,” she sighed. “A lot of the Protectorate can hurt me. They don’t because that’s not how the politics are played. I’m powerful, but I’m not invincible. Right now, they’re blaming the Empire for their Ward being hurt. Kaiser has pulled most of his people back and disavowed the assault. He claims they had no idea. A lot of the city still associates me with the Empire so, without them as targets, everyone is likely to blame me.”  
  
I threw myself into the armchair and glared at her. “They associate you with the Empire for good reason.”  
  
She met my eyes. “That’s not my life anymore, Taylor.”  
  
“Could’ve fooled me.”  
  
She leaned back and clasped her hands between her legs. She almost seemed to wilt as she sighed, all of the fight leaving her body. “If you hate me so much, why aren’t putting up more of a fight when Danny asks you how this thing has been going? You can run me out of this house with three words, Taylor.”  
  
My lips curled as I growled and slammed my fist onto the armrest of the chair wincing at the pain that radiated up my arm and my chest from the impact. “I _want_ to hate you. I _want_ to look at you and see a fucking Nazi! But you _try_ and you _care_ and you _ask me how my day is_! And _nobody else cares_!” She looked up at me, her eyes wide. Before she could say anything I kept ranting, “And then you go and casually insult the person bagging our groceries, or you shy away from the nice guy helping us load up the new washer, just because of their skin color! What am I supposed to think, Kayden? Tell me. Who am I supposed to see when I look at you? The nice woman who gives a shit about me or the casual racist who is barely paying lip service to having split from the Empire? You _still take Kaiser’s calls_! You’re not reformed! You’re not throwing aside their beliefs! But you’re the only person who even _tries_ to like me! I can’t get rid of you because then I’ll have _no one_! _AGAIN!_ ”  
  
I was breathing hard by the end of my rant and I screwed my eyes shut so I didn’t have to look at her. Maybe if I kept them shut I could ignore the wet streaks on my sides of my face. I could pretend that I hadn’t brought my knees to my chest and the sobbing was from the TV. The broken TV. The TV that I had broken when I tossed my backpack towards it yesterday. Sophia had got to me and I was angry and I broke our TV. Now we needed a new TV. A TV we couldn’t afford before Kayden got here. Kayden the Nazi. Kayden who would leave if I kept ranting because then I’d tell who I _was_. Why couldn’t I _stop_? Why was it so hard to breathe?  
  
“Shhh, let it out. It’s okay, Taylor, I’m right here.”  
  
The sobs got louder and I couldn’t breathe. The warmth pressing into my face and my shoulders kept enveloping me and I clung to it.  
  
“It’s alright. It’s alright.”  
  
“No it’s not,” I managed to gasp out. Kayden just held me.  
  
Goddamn it. Why couldn’t _one thing_ go right? Was that really so much to ask?  
  
I didn’t know how long I kept crying, but eventually my sniffles got under control and I pulled back from her embrace. Kayden was kneeling on the carpet, one hand still on my knee as she looked at me wiping my eyes and shoving my glasses back onto my face. “Taylor, I know I’m not perfect. I’m trying to be a better person. I really am. I…when I triggered…it was because of an attack by a group of Asian men who tried to rob the store I was shopping at. I didn’t _intend_ to hold a grudge, to be afraid, but…I met a man, Max, shortly afterwards and the things that he said…They made sense. Because why else would those specific people have gone for that specific store? Why would they have targeted me and my friend when we were the only white people there? It made sense. It’s hard to forget some of those lessons and those words, to move past the fear and the hate, because every time I think I have, something will happen, and I remember that store. I’m _trying_ , but you can’t change a decade’s worth of habits overnight.”  
  
She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “How about this: if you let me help you learn how to be a hero, I’ll let you help me learn how to be a better person. Okay? Does that sound like a fair deal?”  
  
I bit back my first reply and took a shaky breath before trusting myself to speak. “Why do you _care_?”  
  
“Care about you or care about being better?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
She smiled and chuckled. “Are you sure your mom was a language teacher? She could’ve been a mathematician with that answer.” I just glared at her and she held up her hands in surrender. “I want to be better because you’re right, I haven’t been doing a fantastic job of proving that I don’t agree with Max’s beliefs anymore. He didn’t even really believe them himself, but between what he kept saying and my own experiences.” She let out a breath and looked toward the ceiling.  
  
“I’ve met some good people on the other side of the divide since then and I was finally able to step back and take a long hard look at myself. I don’t want to shy away from the tall, handsome teenager helping us out of the goodness of his heart. I don’t want to think that a bag packer is a good job for a young black boy. That’s not what good people think, and I want to be a good role model. I want you to look at me and be proud. I want others to look at Purity as someone they can respect. I want to help people, Taylor. I can’t do that if I keep thinking that every minority is just one bad day away from armed robbery. That’s not right, and I hate that Max convinced me that it was.”  
  
I nodded. It made sense. It made horrible, horrible sense. I couldn’t really expect her to throw away half a lifetime's worth of fear and habits in a month could I?  
  
I _should_ be able to expect that…  
  
“And I care about you, because you’re my family now, Taylor. It’s as simple as that.”  
  
“You’re not married to my dad,” I muttered.  
  
“True, but that doesn’t particularly matter to me. You’re still the daughter I never had.”  
  
I snorted. “What, so if dad left before you tied the knot, you’d still be here the next morning?”  
  
“Yes, I would.”  
  
That brought me up short and I narrowed my eyes as I focused on her. “Why?”  
  
“I just told you. You’re my family, and I care. I’m not going anywhere. If Danny disappears one day, I’ll still be here. If things don’t work out between us, you can still always come to me no matter what.”  
  
“ _Why_?!”  
  
She shook her head, shrugged one shoulder, and reached out to squeeze my hand. “Some things don’t have good answers, Taylor. I’m sorry I can’t explain it better. You’ll understand one day.”  
  
I scowled at that, but I didn’t shake her hand away. “You’re seriously leaving me with that cliche?”  
  
She laughed in earnest. “Oh sweetie, some cliches are actually very appropriate.”  
  
“What if…” I trailed off and clutched at her hand as my head dropped to my chest. “What if I told you that I wasn’t who you thought I was? That I was…someone else?”  
  
“Taylor honey, I think I already know that you’re a cape.” I tried to chuckle at her joke, but the sound died in my throat, coming out more of a wheeze. “Taylor, you don’t have to tell me what has you so upset, but know that whatever it is, it doesn’t change anything. I’m still going to be right here for you if you ever need me. Tell me now, tell me in a year, tell me in a decade; it doesn’t matter.”  
  
“It does…” I whispered.  
  
“It _doesn’t_. I’m still not going anywhere.”  
  
I almost told her. I almost said it. Two words and I could lay it bare and make her put her money where her mouth was.  
  
 _She’s a Nazi sympathizer. She’s trying, but her instinct is still there._  
  
I took a gasping breath and pulled my hand back clutching it to my chest. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I _can’t_.” I couldn't even tell her about going to Empire. That was my burden to bear and my guilt to swallow.  
  
“And that’s _okay_ , it’s okay to feel like that.” She stood and leaned forward to hug me again. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again, but I pushed them down with a titanic effort of will. I was not going to cry. Not again. “How about we talk about something else?” I nodded into her chest and she pulled back, moving to sit on the couch again. “You need to know some things about being a cape, if you’re going to keep going out. And I need to tell you what I know about the Ward so something like tonight doesn’t happen again.”  
  
I wiped at my nose and nodded. “How did Armsmaster even mistake me for you? I don’t fly, my minions don’t look at all like a beam of light. It doesn’t make sense.”  
  
Kayden winced. “Armsmaster is not very good at dealing with people and the attack likely has him on edge. He’s a bit of a glory hound - it’s an open secret - and he’s probably taking this personally; that he can’t protect his own people…it reflects poorly on him.”  
  
“So…if he was looking for you in particular…”  
  
“Someone in a white costume, that’s very hard to see clearly, is very tall, and has a distinct glow around their arms? In a stressful situation, Taylor, that person would look a lot like me, even just standing on the ground.”  
  
I shook my head. “No, my minions look like _cherubs_! They wouldn’t make me glow like that.”  
  
She winced. “Taylor, I’ve been watching you practice for the past week. Your light constructs are very hard to see clearly, even when they are not moving.”  
  
“They…are?”  
  
“ _Very_ hard. They’re too bright.”  
  
“It’s just a dim glow though…I already toned it down a lot from when I first summoned one and…Oh. Crap.”  
  
She smiled at me, even if it looked more like a grimace. “You can see through them can’t you? The light doesn’t affect you at all does it?”  
  
“I thought I compensated for that,” I mumbled.  
  
“Not enough sweetie. We can work on it. That’s why it’s better to test your powers with others. They can find the blind spots that you have regarding your own abilities.”  
  
“Oh god, this is so embarrassing…”  
  
“It happens to all of us, Taylor.” She patted my arm again, then took a deep breath. “Now, current events, then we go over the basic rules for being a cape.”  
  
“Why does the Protectorate think the Empire hurt the guy?” I asked. “I mean, I hate them, but Kaiser’s not stupid. He doesn’t go after Wards, not even Lung wants that kind of heat.”  
  
She frowned. “Why do you think it’s a guy?”  
  
I shrugged. “Well the only female Wards are Vista and Shadow Stalker. Vista would’ve been on the news if she’d been hurt - everyone loves her, even most of the villains. Shadow Stalker is…she wouldn’t have been caught by gangbangers. The forums mostly agree that she’s a bitch, but she’s a competent bitch. She knows what she’s doing and she’s good at it. I’ve seen the number of arrests she has.”  
  
Kayden sighed. “They went after her in her civilian identity.”  
  
I blinked.  
  
“We don’t attack capes without masks on. It’s not done. Once you start attacking each other out of costume, it sets a bad precedent. Powers are like having a gun that you can’t see and that can’t be taken away from you. If people can’t trust that someone won’t point their power at them without lethal intent, then the only safe way to interact with that person is to try to kill them before they can try to kill you.”  
  
“That’s…stupid,” I said. “Being a hero or villain isn’t just about having a mask.”  
  
She nodded. “Yes, but that’s why there are the unwritten rules. Escalation just makes everything worse, and we can't ever really de-escalate when it comes to powers."  
  
Kayden paused, some complicated emotion crossing her face. "That’s why Armsmaster would attack someone he thought was me on sight, he doesn’t really trust that I won’t attack him, and with a Ward being beaten half to death? With the PRT blaming the Empire? Well I can understand that reaction from him."  
  
“But that sort of reaction would get so many innocent people hurt. That’s not heroic!”  
  
“True, and sometimes innocents are caught in the cross-fire. Like you tonight. But we still have the rules. Because we need a way to keep our lives separate. We would never be able to _live_ if we have to constantly look over our shoulders for an attack every moment of the day. It’s not perfect, but it works. Somewhat. Some people will disregard the rule if they think they can get away with it, or if their target has played fast and loose with boundaries in the past, or if, like Lung, they simply have enough power to be left alone.”  
  
I clenched my fist and frowned. “That’s why you don’t attack Empire targets…”  
  
“I don’t want Kaiser or any of the others to use the excuse that I’m using my knowledge of their identities outside the cape world to attack them inside it. I doubt he would come after you or Danny for real, but…”  
  
“He would use it against you,” I said, sighing. This was why I hadn’t gone to her for help with Sophia. If she attacked the Empire and he twisted it to her being aggressive; he knew her name. He’d use us against her to get her back on his side in a heartbeat. “So what? The Protectorate and PRT are assuming that someone found out Shadow Stalker’s civilian identity and attacked her then, because they couldn’t get her while she was in costume?”  
  
“That’s the theory. I don’t particularly think it holds much water though.”  
  
“Why?” I asked.  
  
Kayden sighed. “I’m not being racist when I say this, Taylor, so please don’t think I am. Shadow Stalker was apparently a black girl. The people who targeted her were probably Empire Eighty Eight members. It could very well be that she was just - ”  
  
“Walking down the wrong street,” I finished, nearly growling.  
  
“Yes. However, from what Kaiser said, I don’t think it was that simple. They knew where she lived, so it was targeted to some degree. Yet, that’s much like saying that the ABB targets young girls for its brothels. Maybe she pissed someone off and they followed her home one day, getting their friends together afterwards. It doesn’t take much to incite some people.”  
  
An icy knot coiled in my stomach. “Why wouldn’t she just fight back?”  
  
“From what I understand, she did. She beat down several of them before they took her down. But, she’s still a cape, she wouldn’t want to expose herself if she could avoid it. She waited until near the end of the attack before she finally showed her power.”  
  
I had talked to Eric that morning.  
  
“So shouldn’t she have just won at that point?” I asked, my mouth dry. “Shadow Stalker has a breaker state.”  
  
Sophia was a black girl.  
  
“Kaiser said that one of the people had brought a taser. He was new, when she went into her Breaker form he didn’t pull back, he panicked and he shocked her. Her breaker state had a bad reaction to it.”  
  
Sophia was a bitch.  
  
“They pulled out immediately, the ringleader called the PRT as soon as they were out of the house. He stayed on the line long enough to advise them where she was, that she was unconscious, and that they were not aware she was a cape.”  
  
Shadow Stalker was a bitch.  
  
“The Protectorate and PRT are claiming that account can’t be trusted. They say it was targeted and not only are they on high alert, but they are using that to target the Empire as a whole now. Except Kaiser confirmed the events to me earlier. He’s a manipulative asshole, but he’s never outright lied to me.”  
  
Sophia got away with everything…she had free reign of the school…police backed away...lawyers left her actions alone...because…  
  
“I don’t think they knew who they were confronting. I think it was just a very bad coincidence. That’s not an excuse, but it does paint things in a very different light. A war could very well erupt because a group of people with a grudge went after the worst target, completely by accident.”  
  
I had a grudge…  
  
“So anyone even tangentially associated with the Empire Eighty Eight are under the spotlight now. I’m going to have to be very careful for the next few weeks. You too if we can’t get your light show toned down to something more easily recognizable.”  
  
Oh god…  
  
“But none of this is your fault, Taylor. You just chose a bad night to get started. It’s okay, we all have bad dice rolls sometimes.”  
  
 _I_ had done this.  
  
“I’m going to show you how to get back out there; and how to do it safely. Okay?”  
  
 _Sophia_ was a _Hero_. She was a _Ward_.  
  
Eric was going to call me out. He was going to name me as the instigator.  
  
I had started a war…because I was angry and terrified.  
  
I was never going to be able to sleep again.


	3. Sunrise 03

_"So…this is not how I planned to spend a mother-daughter afternoon."  
"I would honestly be happy if I could just stop crying every five minutes…"_  
  
 **Sunrise 03**  
  
"Hebert."  
  
My heart nearly smashed its way out of my chest, even as I was able to restrain myself to simply looking over my shoulder and nodding. "Eric."  
  
"Things went bad. Not your fault, it's ours for not doing our research. Unfortunately it escalated when I was called in by up high. I had to give your name as the informant."  
  
I was going to have a heart attack. It was going to happen. "So the police will be…"  
  
He shook his head, lips set in a grim line. "Not the police, Hebert. I suggest you lie low for a few days. Maybe a month or two. Find some family to stay with out of state."  
  
"Why do you care?"  
  
"You asked for help. We provided. It's not right they're going to use this against you to save face. The Empire exists to help people like you. For what it's worth, I'm sorry, but I still gotta look out for myself. Get out of town if you can Hebert. It'll blow over in a few weeks, always does." He paused before he moved away from me, seeming to war with himself for a moment before grunting and continuing on. "When Hess gets back, stay away from her. She's very well connected."  
  
"Thanks for the warnings," I said, my mouth dry. "I appreciate the attempt."  
  
"Wish it was worth more. This isn't the Empire I joined; I just wanted to protect folks from Lung's assholes and the other lowlifes, not to blame victims. Good luck, Hebert."  
  
He left and I stared at the clock on the wall. It was barely five minutes into lunch. Emma had been withdrawn all day and Madison was too confused to do anything on her own. But now…did I want to stay here? I should leave. I should leave before school ended. If I waited and then left with everyone else would Kaiser be waiting for me outside? Would the PRT? Kaiser didn't know I was a parahuman, but that didn't mean he wouldn't grab me and throw me to the wolves to save his Empire from being accused. I'd be at the mercy of the PRT for ordering a hit on their _precious little Sophia_.  
  
I ground my teeth at the injustice of it all. The Empire was probably going to kick me to the curb for having the gall to ask for the _wrong_ person to be beaten up; the PRT was going to crucify me for attacking one of their people; Lung might've helped me if I looked remotely Asian, but as it was…Maybe I could impress him? There were rumors that if someone impressed him enough he would just 'declare' they were Asian and that would be that.  
  
But I didn't want to _be_ in a gang! I wanted to make things _better_ in this city! And instead I was touching off the powder keg. And it wasn't even because of something I'd done in costume!  
  
The bell rang.  
  
Fuck this.  
  
Maybe I could live with grandma.

* * *

"Taylor?"  
  
My eyes shut and I had to suppress a groan as I closed the door to our house. Of course Kayden was home. That was just how my luck worked these days. I couldn't even stew in depression by myself anymore.  
  
"Yeah, it's me."  
  
She came around the corner of the living room stopping just out of reach. I noticed the slight release of tension as her shoulders dropped once her eyes had raked over me.  
  
 _Checking for bullying evidence_.  
  
Goddammit, why did she have to be a _good_ mother?! As much as my mind rebelled against it, a small smile flitted across my lips as I set my backpack down and waved to her. "Hi."  
  
"Hello yourself. Did something happen?"  
  
I walked past her and dropped onto the couch, pulling a minion up and playing with its makeshift hair as it sat on my lap. I just grunted as Kayden sat down next to me.  
  
"Taylor, I can't help if you don't talk to me." I grunted again. "Okay, how about we work on your projections instead? I can help you tone down the luminosity so that others can actually see what they look like?"  
  
I frowned. "I already turned it down. It's still too bright?"  
  
"It's better. I mean it's not blinding anymore. But most people would still have to squint."  
  
"Damn," I sighed. "Sometimes powers suck. How about now?" The inner glow of my cherub dimmed to almost nothing as far as I was concerned. It was barely as bright as a light bulb now.  
  
"That is _much_ better, Taylor. And - " she stopped and her eyes widened. She held a hand over her mouth, which did very little to diminish her chuckles. "Are you brushing its hair?"  
  
"I'm _styling_ its hair. Shifting their appearances is a lot easier if I sculpt them manually. Then I just dismiss them and resummon them and the rest all look like the new template. I can change them on the fly without manual sculpting, but it's more difficult. And they are still cuddly so I _like_ doing it like this."  
  
"It doesn't hurt? I saw those things take a beating the other night."  
  
I shook my head. "Not when I'm going slow like this. There's some sort of threshold where they shift from soft and strong to unstoppable and brittle."  
  
"That's an interesting way to describe it," Kayden said, reaching out to poke the side of the cherub. My minion grinned at her and its mouth opened in silent laughter even as I held it steady between my legs and turned its hair into little spikes.  
  
"Anime? Hmm, definitely not a mohawk. Bowl-cut isn't going to fly for these guys either. Yeah, anime it is." I pulled out more spikes as I mulled over her words. "They can hold or lift a lot more than their size implies. It only took six to lift a car and I can make like 50 at a time. I'm also getting better so I think I'll be able to summon more as I get more used to it. Pretty sure I can have a few different templates at once too. But I don't think I can do more than one template summon at the same time."  
  
"That makes sense. What about them being brittle?"  
  
"They can take a hit, but it's like it fritzs them out. They're an immovable object for those big hits, but once they're knocked out it takes me a little while to be able to resummon that broken one. It's good for meat shields though. And honestly unless someone is firing an automatic at me, I'd give myself good odds on being able to resummon any busted minions before I start to come close to running out."  
  
"Hmm," she hummed. "Very strong defense, decent offense. A nice combination."  
  
"Yeah. Once I get better at least. If I hadn't panicked the other night I would've realized I could've just had them pick up Squealer's car. Then I wouldn't have had to be rescued. They're fairly independent once summoned, but not enough that they could figure that out on their own."  
  
"Well you've only had your powers for three weeks Taylor. You can't expect to be an expert overnight."  
  
I sighed and nodded. Finally satisfied with the hair on my minion, I shifted to its wings, pulling them out slightly and emphasizing the curve. "I know. I know. I just…I'm probably not going to get the chance anymore. This whole thing fucking _sucks_."  
  
Kayden laid her hand on my shoulder. "Taylor, what happened at school?"  
  
"I…When does Dad get home?"  
  
"He texted to say his meeting is running late. He won't be back until well after dinner."  
  
"I…I did something bad. Please, please don't tell him." Was that my voice? Since when did I sound so weak and pathetic?  
  
"I won't. What happened?"  
  
I stopped playing with the wings of my minion and wrapped my arms around it squeezing it to my chest and shutting my eyes. "I asked the Empire grunts to get Sophia off my back."  
  
The pressure of Kayden's hand on my shoulder increased, but she let up almost fast enough that I was able to convince myself I had imagined it. Almost. "Oh. Sophia was the b-err, track star right?"  
  
"You don't have to pretend you don't remember her, Kayden. I remember when Carol Dallon came to the hospital and told you she couldn't take the case. I…I remember that very well."  
  
Kayden winced. "I didn't realize you were awake at that point."  
  
"I know."  
  
The silence stretched out between us before Kayden, sighing, leaned over to hug me. I didn't open my eyes, but I did lean into her ever so slightly. "And the Protectorate's Ward was beaten up the night you asked for help."  
  
"Yes," I whispered. My voice was cracking. Perfect.  
  
"Well, I suppose this answers quite a few concerns I've had surrounding this whole thing for the past few months."  
  
"I…The guy I talked to…He said he had to tell his bosses who asked him to hurt her. Kaiser's going to come after me! He's going to hurt me and say that they found the person and that I had nothing to do with the Empire just to save their asses! Or _worse_ he's going to give me to the Protectorate and they'll throw me in jail! I can't even get _revenge_ without Sophia _fucking up my entire life_!"  
  
And now I was crying. I was crying half into Kayden's shirt and half into my minion's spiky hair.  
  
I missed my mom…  
  
"Shh, it's okay, Taylor, it's okay."  
  
"It's _not_! Kaiser knows my name and if he doesn't use it against me then he'll just use it against _you_! None of this is okay! I just - I just wanted her to _STOP_! I wanted someone to make her feel small and hurt like I felt. I wanted her to know that she wasn't untouchable but now _I'm_ the one who's going to get in even more trouble because _fucking Sophia Hess_ has powerful friends!"  
  
Kayden kissed the top of my head, her arm tightening and pushing my minion into my chest even more, letting its warmth flow into me. "Things are never that simple, Taylor. It's going to be alright. I'm going to fix this."  
  
" _How_?!"  
  
"I have an idea. You're going to have to trust me though and - " She cut off as a knock on the front door sounded out like a gunshot. I stopped breathing as I pulled back and stared at Kayden, my eyes wide as saucers.  
  
"Stay here," she murmured, standing up, her face set in a firmly neutral frown. "And dismiss your buddy."  
  
I gasped and hurriedly nodded as my minion vanished into a flurry of glittering sparkles. The knock rang out again as Kayden walked back over to the front door. This was it. This was the PRT coming to take me away. Could I make it to the window before they got in? Would it matter? Should I run upstairs and hide before they came in? I was still supposed to be at school so that could work. But what if they just waited for me to get home? What if - the door creaked open grinding my thoughts to a halt.  
  
"Hello, how can I help - _Max_ ," Kayden's polite greeting dissolved into a veritable hiss and I locked up even further. One of her Nazi buddies. So _not_ the PRT. _Worse_.  
  
"Oh Kayden, sweetheart, is that any way to greet an old friend?" He even sounded like an asshole. How did someone sound that _slimy_? Did he practice?  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, Max?"  
  
"I can't just come to say hello?"  
  
"Most ex-boyfriends tend to stay away from the new fiancé's residence, Max. Something about it being threatening, or emasculating, I can't really remember which."  
  
Ex-boyfriend? But…that…  
  
"Come now, Kay, did our time together mean so little to you that you've degraded me to a simple 'boyfriend'? We were married after all."  
  
"That didn't stop you from sleeping with the other girls," Kayden snarled.  
  
"I was always quite open that you were more than willing to partake of the bounty on offer." A small thump sounded and his voice lowered, the amusement gone from his tone. "Now, are you going to let me in so we can discuss business? Or do I need to come back in another guise?"  
  
Kayden snarled and I could feel the door slam open through the wall of the living room. "Just get in here and say what you have to say then get out of my home, Max."  
  
"Gladly." And just like that he was all smiles again. Snake. Goddamn _snake_. "Now where is your living room? It has been so long since I have seen such a _quaint_ abode! I find myself intrigued. I simply must have a look around!"  
  
"We can stay in the kitchen, Max. You don't get the luxury of an armchair here."  
  
"You used to have such good manners, Kayden. You see what happens when you leave to go and live with the rabble?"  
  
Why was he pushing so hard? Why was he needling her like that without - I gasped and my hands curled into fists on my knees. _My backpack_.  
  
I barely had time to string the thought together before 'Max' was walking around the entry wall. His grin went from slimy to shark-like in an instant. "Ah, see, you don't even introduce me! And this is the sprog I assume? Taylor Hebert if I'm not mistaken? Such a _pleasure_ to meet you Miss Hebert."  
  
My blood turned to ice as he smirked and held out his hand. I just stared at it unable to move a muscle. Then Kayden was there, her hand on his chest and pushing him back before she fell back to stand in front of me. "Stay away from my daughter. Taylor, go upstairs. Now what do you _want_ , Max?"  
  
I had barely pushed myself to my feet before Max's grin widened even further and he chuckled. "Oh please, my dear, stay. This conversation has to do with you as well I believe. From what a little birdie tells me, you've been rather naughty."  
  
Kayden snarled and her hand snapped up to level at Max's chest. "Don't you _dare_ bring her into this. This is between you and me."  
  
"On the contrary, Mrs. Anders." I scowled at that name and Kayden's hand started to glow. "Taylor has _everything_ to do with this. After all, I can't very well protect her from the wrath of the people who would seek to do her harm…not without _your_ assistance now can I?"  
  
"Say your fucking piece and get out," she spat.  
  
"Surely you've heard of the recent _unfortunate_ events? Why from what I am given to understand, Taylor was right there at the center of that entire mess. As things stand, she has quite a target over her head. Between the PRT looking for their villain, the ABB looking to induct another grunt, and the Empire seeking whoever is staining their good name…Poor Taylor has set nearly the entirety of the Bay against her, through…one…simple… _mistake_."  
  
He wasn't even lying. My stomach twisted and all I wanted to do was call forth a minion or ten.  
  
"No one is going to _touch_ her," Kayden hissed. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't move so much as a muscle. "You know who I am. I will make this city _bleed_ before I let anyone _near_ her, Max."  
  
"I'm sure you would," he said. He stepped forward, pressing his chest into her hand, his shirt starting to sizzle as he did. His voice dropped all pretense of playfulness and his eyes narrowed. "The narrative can easily change, Kayden. Instead of being the rogue white girl playing on the prejudice of those around her to incite revenge, she could be the embattled victim. The one at the end of her rope with nowhere to turn who was simply _desperate_ for help against the psychopathic _Ward_ that was tormenting her. A few words is all it takes to get everyone behind her."  
  
"And all you want in return is _Purity_."  
  
I don't think I had really _believed_ that Kayden was trying to distance herself from the Empire. Not until this moment. Not until I heard the venom and scorn and sheer hatred in that single word. She had been talking a good game and she had promised to do better. But at the end of the day…once a Nazi, always a Nazi right? And yet now…I could barely breathe as I tried to process just how much she despised her past.  
  
"Don't wait too long to respond, Kayden," Max said, the smile creeping back onto his face. "Brockton Bay is fickle. I can only keep the dogs in the kennel for so long." He stepped back and straightened his singed shirt. "Choose wisely. For your daughter's sake. Besides, I think she would do well in our group - she does what needs to be done. That's certainly better than my own son." He nodded once, his smile as wide as when I first laid eyes on him. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hebert. Kayden, I expect I'll be seeing you soon. Good day to you both."  
  
As he walked out of sight and the front door closed again, I was finally able to draw a shaky breath.  
  
"Taylor, get your backpack. We're going for a drive."

* * *

As the building loomed into view ahead of the car, I clutched arms around myself harder. "This is not a good idea. This is not a good idea _at all_. Please, please can we go back?"  
  
Kayden pulled into the parking lot, shut the car off, and turned to me. She didn't try to touch me, she just kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the divider in the space between us. Open, but not pushing.  
  
"Taylor, K-Max was exaggerating, yes, but he was not wrong. He has the power to follow through on his threat. Both of them."  
  
"Both?"  
  
She frowned then shook her head. "Don't worry about the second. That's my concern. The point is that he can make our lives exceedingly difficult. Realistically, we have two options right now. The first is to walk through those doors, and see how things play out. The second, is to go back home and make some…difficult calls. I'll protect you as best I can, but Max is unlikely to let you sit in the background. You've 'impressed' him. That's not a good thing when he's looking for a successor stronger than my step-son."  
  
"Theo seemed nice the one time we met…"  
  
"He is. And that's the problem. He's not ruthless like Max wants. He's never going to please Max. You however, while completely unaffiliated with anyone else, and without going through Purity, asked for help with the beat down of a Ward. Whether you knew it at the time is immaterial. You were willing to accept what came of asking for the Empire help. He can work with that. He's not going to let you slip away if I walk back to him to protect you. And - "  
  
"If I have to be that close to him then he's going to find out about my powers and he's going to make sure that Kaiser conscripts me," I finished. I needed my minions.  
  
Kayden nodded. "Yes. In all honesty, if we're not going to join them, Kaiser finding out that you are a parahuman would keep you _safer_."  
  
" _What_?!"  
  
Kayden grimaced and said, "There are certain 'rules' that capes tend to follow when dealing with other capes. One of those is not attacking capes in their civilian lives and keeping things constrained to in-costume battles. Currently Max is implying that you don't fall under those protections and that you are free game for his associates. That shouldn't be true anyway considering my relationship with your father, but because he's not going after me, he's going after a regular human - and not someone of my blood at that - it's enough of a distinction that Kaiser would be able to talk around the issue. He specializes in talking. So yes, them finding out you are a cape would, paradoxically, be _good_ because it would make attacking you at home when I am not around anathema."  
  
I winced. "Oh. But…what if we just leave the state? I know that grandma doesn't like you, but I'm sure if Dad and - um, no actually, she hates Dad too…I'm sure if _I_ asked, she would let us stay with her for a few weeks."  
  
Kayden shook her head. "If Kaiser wants Purity, he's going to get Purity no matter what state she is in, Taylor. With something like this over my head, he wouldn't have any qualms about sending messengers to New York to drive the point home."  
  
"So we're just screwed no matter what."  
  
"No. Not necessarily. We have options, they are just limited. We _can_ go home. I hate to say it, but you _would_ do very well in the Empire, Taylor." I barely had time to snarl before she continued. "We could try to change it from within, make it better. Bide our time, work on the people who are open to being something, some _one_ else. I can name two right off the bat and a lot of the rank of file are just there because they don't want to be at Lung or the Merchant's mercies."  
  
"But you don't want to do that," I stated.  
  
Kayden sighed. "I see how you look at me sometimes, Taylor. I want to be _better_. If I go back there…back to _Max_ …even if I stayed with your father, it wouldn't matter. He'd get into my head again and make me remember why I'm always _afraid_ whenever I see a large black man. He'd make me remember why I cringe at seeing an Asian in a hoodie. If I go back to the Empire, I'll become what you hate again. I'm honest enough with myself to acknowledge that. I don't want that."  
  
My eyes dropped to my clasped hands. "I…I can't join the Empire…They would kill me…" I murmured.  
  
Kayden sighed. "Taylor, you're a young, strong, intelligent white girl. They would never even think of laying a finger on - "  
  
"I'm a lesbian," I whispered. The sound didn't even feel like it was loud enough to escape my lips, yet it was like a cannon blast had sounded in the car.  
  
She cut off, her teeth clicking as her mouth snapped shut. Silence reigned. I couldn't lift my head to look at her. I couldn't do anything but squeeze my hands tighter, trying to ignore the stinging in my eyes. I needed my cherubs. I needed to hold something. I needed -  
  
"Oh sweetie." Her arms wrapped around me and pulled me against her chest for the second time that day. My breath hitched, the stinging in my eyes blocked out my vision. "So _that's_ what you've been so worked up about. I guess I can understand why you didn't say anything."  
  
"Dad _knows_!" I gasped out. "He _knows_! I told him _three years ago_! I told him that I wanted to marry my best friend and I told him I wasn't joking and I made sure he _understood_ when _I_ understood! And then he started dating _you_! You're ex-Empire. You're an ex-Nazi! He _knows_ I'm gay and he started dating a _fucking ex-Nazi_! And I still get _why_ he did because you're _cool_!" I couldn't stop my tears from running down my face anymore as I reached for great gulps of air. "Now your Nazi ex-husband is trying to force you to go back because I asked _more_ Nazis for help! I _can't_ join the Empire! I can't _stop_ being a lesbian! I-I-I can't - I don't…"  
  
"Shh, it's okay. I told you, I know how we can fix all of this."  
  
I pulled back from her snarling. "You can't _fix_ \- "  
  
"NOT what I meant!" Kayden shouted over me, holding her hands up. My scowl slowly fell away and she dropped her hands back to the center console. "I know you can't help who you love. I was never…Taylor I, yes, I was a Nazi. But even when I was with the Empire I didn't, I didn't agree with all of their philosophies. I was - I _am_ \- afraid of black men and Asians. I never had any problems with anyone else. It's part of why I left to begin with. I…I got tired of trying to pretend to agree with people's comments and I…The point is, I don't care who you love, Taylor. And I'm not saying that just because it's _you_ instead of some random stranger. I just _don't care_."  
  
"So…when you say you can fix…'this'…"  
  
"I mean that I have a general idea of how to get us out of having to join the Empire _and_ having to join the Protectorate/Wards."  
  
"But," I said, frowning as I turned to stare at the PRT building. "You said that these were our only two options."  
  
"I never said I intended to join up here, Taylor. We just need to _talk_ to them. Please, trust me; for just a little bit longer. Okay?"  
  
I looked back to Kayden, wiping away the film on my eyes with the back of my hand. I nodded. "Okay."

* * *

I fidgeted in the rigid office seat. This was so incredibly uncomfortable. The plate of cookies and coffee sitting on the table in front of me did nothing to assuage that discomfort. If anything, it exasperated it. Why were the cookies still hot? Did they have random rooms already set up with cookies and coffee just in case someone came in and asked to speak to the Director and the local heads of the Protectorate-ENE?  
  
"Why is it taking so long?" I asked. I had to stop myself from reaching for the cookie. They smelled so good and I could really use the pick-me-up. But I wouldn't do it. I was enough of a mess as it was. Between my worthless clothes, wet spots on my shirt, and my puffy eyes…No. I did not need to add _crumbs_ to the list of reasons why I looked pathetic.  
  
"Well, at least some of them were probably on the Rig. And I imagine the Director is rather busy herself. We didn't exactly make an appointment," Kayden said, chuckling.  
  
"No, you did not." I turned towards the raspy voice at the door. The woman there was short, yet large. Large in a way that wasn't quite 'fat', but more like 'unhealthy'. At least the pallor and unhealthy bunching to her skin implied that. Her eyes however, were not remotely dim. They were cold and calculating, and they centered on me seeming to drill into my very soul.  
  
I already disliked this woman and she had barely stepped into the room. This was going to go _great_.  
  
"Good afternoon," the woman said as she shuffled to a seat across from us. The small sigh she gave as she settled was almost imperceptible. "I am Director Emily Piggot of the PRT-ENE branch. This is my colleague - "  
  
"Miss Militia!" I gasped as the older woman stepped into the room as well. She smiled at me, and nodded as she settled into the seat next to Director Piggot. I couldn't see her mouth around the bandana, but her eyes were smiling.  
  
I still had a lunch box with her face on it.  
  
"That's correct, Miss. It's nice to meet you." I could only nod in reply.  
  
A tall, well-built teenager walked in a moment later, he smiled at me too and sat down to Miss Militia's side. "Hello. I'm Aegis. It's a pleasure."  
  
I gulped as my face heated up. I'd seen him around, he was basically the perfect hero. He and Gallant were the two I had tried to base my alternate persona off of. He wasn't going to like me very much after this meeting was over. Neither was Miss Militia. My head dropped to the table and I clasped my hands, forcing myself not to summon a minion and refusing to let myself start to cry again. I had set myself onto this path. I was going to have to deal with the consequences. They had reason to hate me.  
  
"I told you, you did not have to wait," another gruff voice sounded from near the door. My eyes widened as my head snapped up and I saw Armsmaster standing to the side of the table, his halberd planted on the floor. "It was difficult to pause mid-step. You could have started with just Miss Militia."  
  
"And I decided to wait instead," Director Piggot replied, her scowl increasing.  
  
Armsmaster was here. Why was Armsmaster here? He was - oh, fuck, he was head of the Protectorate, _not_ Miss Militia. How had I forgotten that? I rubbed my chest as I dropped my gaze back to the table and tried not to remember how much it had hurt when that halberd had smashed into me.  
  
Kayden squeezed my other hand and I took a shuddering breath, nodding once. "Good afternoon everyone," she said. "I apologize for requesting the meeting like this. I realize it is unusual, but our circumstances were rather extreme and I felt it more prudent to be inconvenient over expedient."  
  
The Director inclined her head. "I am told that you have information regarding the recent assault on Shadow Stalker."  
  
"We do. However, context is important so, before I explain what we know about Shadow Stalker, I need to explain why my daughter is here as well."  
  
Director Piggot all but rolled eyes and waved her hand for Kayden to proceed. I grimaced as she started to talk. "Taylor and Sophia Hess went to the same high school. They had a mutual friend as well."  
  
"Sophia had friends?" Aegis blurted out.  
  
I couldn't stop the small snort of laughter at that. At least I wasn't the only one who hated the bitch. "One. Emma. She…She twisted Emma."  
  
"Taylor." I quieted at Kayden's soft prompt and just nodded. "As I was saying, they had a mutual friend. Something changed about two years ago. Emma withdrew from Taylor and focused solely on Miss Hess."  
  
Director Piggot shook her head. "I fail to see how the politics of children has any relevance to the current situation."  
  
"Because it's my _life_!" I snapped. Kayden squeezed my hand again and I fell silent, dropping my head back to the table.  
  
"It's important for context and to show Miss Hess' character," Kayden said.  
  
"Ma'am, no offense," Aegis cut in, "but we all are very aware of her character. She's a bitch, but she means well."  
  
"Aegis." The Director's word wasn't loud, but it had the Ward leader sighing.  
  
"Director, if you didn't want me to interject my observations on Shadow Stalker you shouldn't have invited me to this meeting. She is literally the reason why we are sitting here and I have had more interactions with her than any of the three of you. I apologize for the cursing, but it is true and obviously what these folks are aiming for."  
  
My one hand was curled into a fist, I was scowling, and my breaths were short harsh pants. "Sophia did not _mean well_."  
  
"Taylor!"  
  
"She was - "  
  
" _Taylor_!"  
  
I bit my tongue and pulled my hand from Kayden's grasp. I couldn't breath. I couldn't see the table in front of me. The scars on my leg itched. I grasped at the scars on my arm. I couldn't breathe and the bugs were back and it was too tight and _nobody was going to do anything and she was going to get away with it again_ -  
  
Light flared into being on the table in front of me. I barely registered the sound of a chair being pushed back as the cherub pulled at my arm, lifted it away from the scars and burrowing into my chest. I gasped, finally finding the air around me and pulled the minion tighter against me, burying my head in its spiky hair.  
  
" _Cherub_ ," Armsmaster gasped. "And _Purity_!"  
  
"Hardlight," I murmured into the minion. No one listened to me and I didn't have the strength to say it louder. My scars itched.  
  
" _Armsmaster_!" Miss Militia hissed. Aegis groaned and there was a dull metallic slap. The Director didn't say anything.  
  
"Congratulations, Mr. Obvious," Kayden said, sighing. I felt her arm settle on my back, but just clutched at the minion harder. "Taylor, I have your medicine if you need any."  
  
I shook my head. "I'm okay."  
  
"You're not." She kissed my head. "Let me know if he's not enough to calm down, okay?" I nodded.  
  
"I apologize, she hasn't had many panic attacks recently. It's only been a few weeks, but we thought it was getting better."  
  
"She's your daughter?" Director Piggot asked. I didn't have to look up to see her scowl.  
  
"Step-daughter. At least she will be in a few weeks. My fiancé is her father."  
  
"I see."  
  
"She does not share my old views."  
  
"I see."  
  
Miss Militia put her hands up, shaking her head. "Let's all just take a step back and try to get back onto the topic at hand, please. Ms. Anders, you were - "  
  
"Russel," Kayden corrected. "I go by my maiden name for the moment."  
  
"Ms. Russel then, you were saying that Sophia Hess had pulled Taylor's friend away from her?"  
  
"Yes. After Emma and Sophia became friends, Emma's behavior changed. She and Taylor used to be inseparable. This was before I entered the picture, however I've seen the home videos, the pictures, and I've spoken with the girl's mother and sister as well. Once Sophia was present, Emma immediately cut Taylor out of her life. As you so clearly stated, I am a parahuman so please do not mistake me when I say that the degree of the change and the suddenness would have me extremely concerned for Master effects if I was not aware of Sophia's alternate identity. In fact when I first learned of all these circumstances that was what I started checking into at the outset."  
  
"And I'm certain her skin color had absolutely nothing to do with it," Director Piggot sneered.  
  
"Actually, I hadn't even seen a photo of Sophia at that point, so _no_ it did not. And I would challenge you not to anything you could to protect _your_ daughter."  
  
Armsmaster stepped forward, a frown evident from what little was visible of his face. "We are all aware that Shadow Stalker cannot Master anyone. So what relevance does that have?"  
  
"Again, context." Kayden sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "The point is that Emma, at Sophia's urging, initiated a two year long bullying campaign against Taylor. Well, that's what Taylor calls it anyway."  
  
Director Piggot grunted, waving her hand. "And what do you call it then?"  
  
"Criminal harassment and assault. Not to mention attempted homicide."  
  
All four PRT personnel stopped moving at that. I winced, ducking my head back into the cherub. "It was just bullying…"  
  
"I have a ream of text emails that take up over 15 MBs worth of data filled with threatening messages, insults, belittlement, urges to commit suicide, etc. Fifteen. Megabytes. Do you have any idea of how _large_ that is for simple _text_? She had to change email addresses _four times_ and Sophia's cadre still managed to find her new mail and send additional items."  
  
Aegis winced. "That…sounds like Sophia."  
  
"She also regularly punched and tripped Taylor during school. Including while they were running full out on the track which could have resulted in broken bones. _And_ including pushing her down the stairs which could have _killed_ her."  
  
Armsmaster's mouth had nearly disappeared as he looked at Kayden. "Those are heavy allegations."  
  
"Sir," Aegis said, his voice quiet, "that…also sounds like Sophia."  
  
"I haven't even gotten started," Kayden said, a vindictive snarl flitting across her face. "And I have photos that Taylor took herself after each incident along with journal entries of every date it happened. One of the worst psychological events was when Sophia's group stole a flute that Taylor's mother had left her after she died. They desecrated it, then destroyed it in front of her. It was quite possibly the only thing she had left of her mother."  
  
Miss Militia shook her head even as her power kept shifting forms under her hands on the tabletop. "They broke into your house?"  
  
"I brought it to school with me," I whispered. All eyes focused on my and I stared at the table, clinging to my cherub. "It was a safety net. Something to remind me of her. Remind me why I wanted to be _better_ than them…I left it in my locker. I should've known not to do that. They had stolen things from my locker before. It was supposed to be locked, but even when things were stolen nobody had ever unlocked it. I even bought a lock of my own so no one in the school would know the combination but…that never stopped Sophia. Makes sense now."  
  
Miss Militia cursed and Armsmaster went even more rigid. Kayden nodded. "Skipping ahead, Taylor's grades were affected, not just due to the harassment, but also because of stolen school work and destroyed projects. Quite a few of her clothes and possessions have been utterly ruined because of glue, gum, or juice. The school flat out refuses to provide any additional materials for her as they have blamed her for the continual damage to the textbooks. But all of this pales in comparison to the incident three weeks ago which is when I became heavily involved."  
  
Director Piggot started to say something when Armsmaster cut her off. "January 3rd, Hazardous Material was found in a school locker along with a girl trapped inside." He focused on me as Aegis sucked in a breath and Miss Militia's power flipped through so many forms it was just a greenish blur. "The estimate was 8 hours."  
  
I could only nod. Kayden squeezed my shoulder and said, "I started making calls when she didn't come home after school. Sophia had filled Taylor's locker with used tampons, rotting garbage, several still bloody needles and other assorted items. We found her two hours after school let out because a janitor happened to walk by and notice the smell."  
  
Director Piggot's scowl was almost frightening with the intensity. "Why are we _just_ hearing about this now?"  
  
"That's a very good question and one that I very much would like the answer to. You see, after Taylor was hospitalized, I started talking to several lawyers and the school. Each attorney dropped the case within days of starting their investigations. Only one at least had the decency to come and tell me in person why. All they said was that everyone involved was warned of higher personnel taking point and that if their own cases were not dropped, the firms would be investigated for 'interfering with government business'." The scorn in Kayden's voice could cut steel.  
  
My hands shook and I squeezed my minion, my eyes slammed shut as my mind flashed back to that hospital.  
  
\/\/  
  
" _I am sorry. I would pursue this on my own, however I've been expressly warned off of using Firm assets. Unfortunately, I simply do not have the personal time to do this without the Firm's backing. I can make some recommendations, but it will require significant upfront costs if you choose to pursue them due to these odd circumstances."_  
  
" _We can't pay for that right now."_  
  
" _Then I am truly sorry, but it looks like the perpetrator is not going to face many consequences. I'll forward my list in case you change your mind. Come along Victoria, I believe your sister is done for the day."_  
  
 **Destination.**  
  
\/\/  
  
I whimpered, and another, smaller cherub popped into existence, settling on my head as it hugged me. "Kayden. Can I have those pills please?" I whispered.  
  
As she passed them over, Miss Militia's eyes tracked my second minion. "Ah. That explains why we didn't detect anything originally…"  
  
Kayden cleared her throat and Miss Militia met her eyes. I could see the blush spread across the tops of her cheeks. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't - "  
  
"Yes. Moving on. As Miss Militia just realized, Sophia was not going to be punished at all for this last incident where she tried to kill Taylor and Taylor did not react well to that. I was still making inquiries, however Taylor herself was not aware of this."  
  
"Where was her _father_ during all of this?" Aegis blurted out. "I mean, you're…well…why are _you_ the one doing all of this?"  
  
My minion squeezed my head as Kayden sighed. "My fiancé has clinical depression. It is difficult for him to perform many functions outside of his work. We're…dealing with it. I've stepped up in the meantime to provide assistance with everything else."  
  
Director Piggot had focused on something else that Kayden had said and her eyes were narrowed to thin slits. "What happened two days ago Miss Russel? What did your daughter do?"  
  
"Sophia was still harassing her at school. She was still lording over Taylor how nothing had happened to her, how nothing _would_ happen. She was gloating and preening about how she was planning even more if Taylor kept coming back. So, unaware that I was trying to resolve things, presented with implicit evidence that the school either supported Sophia or did not care, knowing the police had already dropped the investigation, and seeing only that no one was going to do _anything_ regarding the girl who attempted to murder her…She spoke with several of the Empire Eighty Eight recruiters at the school."  
  
Aegis gasped. Miss Militia's eyes shut and she hung her head. Director Piggot's scowl, impossibly, deepened further. Only Armsmaster's reaction was any surprise: he gave a small, curt nod. "Understandable."  
  
All heads turned to look at him.  
  
" _What_?" the Director hissed. Aegis and Miss Militia were both too shocked to say much of anything.  
  
"It is not the choice I would have taken, but I have tools she does not, and even at her age, I was a muscular man. In her position, with no other recourse and all legal forms of protection exhausted…I can see why she thought the gangs were the only solutions."  
  
"The Empire is _never_ \- "  
  
"The Empire is a presence in the Bay, Director. We have not wiped them out. We have not wiped out the ABB. We have not even wiped out the Merchants. Frankly, I'm surprised that Miss Hebert did not resort to violence earlier. Whether her own weapons or the Empire's proxy weapons, under trigger conditions, it was simply a matter of time."  
  
Kayden uttered a mirthless laugh as I took a deep, shuddering breath. "Well, what do you know, the heroes can learn."  
  
Director Piggot turned to Kayden. "We do everything we can for this cesspit. The powder keg can be lit by the smallest action and then _everyone_ suffers Miss Russel. We make the best of bad situations every day. If you dislike how the status quo has fallen, then perhaps you should be attacking some of your previous associates whenever you decide to stop being a mother for the evening."  
  
Kayden growled as she leaned across the table. "Attack the people who know my name and my face and where I sleep? Attack the people with _Hookwolf_ at their beck and call? Attack the people who would have a grudge against me the very _moment_ I made the slightest move against them? _Those_ people Director? Perhaps I should just shoot my new family myself hmm? It would certainly be faster and kinder than whatever that rabid dog would do to them!"  
  
"Kayden," I whispered.  
  
She leaned back and took a deep breath letting it out slowly as she ran a hand through her hair. "I apologize. I understand your position. I have recently been taken to task by my daughter for my unknowing lingering racism as well. I am… _trying_."  
  
"Do better," Director Piggot stated.  
  
"Watch over your Wards better," Kayden shot back.  
  
Aegis rapped his hand on the table. "Excuse me, but I would like to clarify something. Taylor, did you specifically ask for Sophia to be injured or killed?"  
  
I shrank into the chair under his gaze. "I just wanted her to leave me alone. I showed Eric some of my proof that she had been attacking me and asked him to make her stop…I thought Emma's dad was protecting her…I thought if they scared her enough that it showed people could still get to her even with Mr. Barnes shielding her she'd back off…"  
  
Miss Militia rubbed at her temples. "So you asked Empire members to attack a black girl in an effort to protect yourself?"  
  
"I didn't actually ask them to attack her…I just…told them she was attacking me…"  
  
"So by implication, yes," Director Piggot grunted. "This entire situation is a goddamn nightmare from all sides. Miss Russel, what do you hope to get out of this meeting? Are you aiming for a Wards membership for Miss Hebert and some sort of deal for yourself? I can tell you right off that should we start entertaining that, you would need a complete rebrand."  
  
Kayden shook her head. "No. I primarily wanted Taylor's side of the story told before other parties brought forward their versions."  
  
Director Piggot's eyes narrowed again. "Before Sophia Hess has a chance to tell her side you mean."  
  
"No," Armsmaster stated. He was scowling again. "Kaiser is using this to threaten you. He's a smart man and if he has her name and knows the two of you are related; it's a perfect storm for him."  
  
"He is." Kayden nodded. "I don't want to go back and Taylor has no interest in joining the Empire. We would have been forced into it however, should he have tried to play his hand and set the entire city against us."  
  
Aegis grimaced. "Two parahumans for the low price of media manipulation? I could see that. Why didn't he do it immediately? Why give you a chance to come here first?"  
  
"Kaiser doesn't know I'm a cape," I said, my voice a little stronger than earlier. "He sent Kayden's ex-husband to intimidate her, but she's the only one who knew I was a cape before I freaked out here."  
  
"Ah. Yes, that makes more sense," Armsmaster said.  
  
"Taylor has also expressed minimal interest in joining the Wards at the moment," Kayden stated. "She is concerned both with Sophia's actions as well as Armsmaster's overreaction to her first night out. I don't fully disagree with either of those concerns."  
  
Director Piggot's hand clenched into a fist before slowly relaxing. "You realize that I should be browbeating you into convincing her to accept do you not?"  
  
"I do. However we are both smart enough to realize that should you try that tactic I will make a media stink about this whole rotten incident. I should also be able to get Mrs. Dallon back on the case since I now know _why_ people were told to drop it. We're not saying that we are intending to be villains. Far from it. I'm fairly certain that Taylor would bring me in herself if I go that route again."  
  
I didn't speak. I honestly had no idea how I would react if something like that happened now…  
  
"We just want to be recognized as Independents. I imagine that once Taylor has had some time to calm down and get used to her powers and the situation in the Bay she will likely change her mind. When she does, I'll come to you as well. We ask for time and that's it."  
  
Director Piggot scowled. "Your daughter asked for racist gang members to beat up a fellow student. I can't just let that go without any punishment."  
  
"And had _anyone_ in this organization been doing their jobs Taylor would never have had to take such an extreme action. By all means try to punish her, I know exactly what I have to do now and who I have to find in order to get my suits pushed through."  
  
The Director just shook her head. "You can't even sign the paperwork for her to be registered as an Independent. It needs a parental signature for minors."  
  
"I am Taylor's mother."  
  
" _Step_ -mother. And not even that at this point in time. Even if you _were_ her _step_ -mother it _still_ wouldn't be enough," Director Piggot said. "You would have to formally adopt her or have a - "  
  
"Power of Attorney to act in her father's stead in all parental matters related to Taylor?" Kayden asked smiling. My eyes widened as she pulled a paper from her bag and slid it across the table towards Director Piggot. "As I said, my fiancé is not well, and I have taken over quite a few matters regarding Taylor from him."  
  
The Director's lips actually lifted into a small, almost-smile for a brief instant as she shook her head. "You're smarter than I expected Purity."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment. Now, shall we see about that paperwork?"


	4. Sunrise 04

**Sunrise 04**  
  
“I really don’t understand why we had to agree to power testing,” I muttered as the elevator descended. I had at least calmed down enough that I had been able to dismiss my minions. An hour of talking in close to lawyer-speak would bore anyone to tears.  
  
Miss Militia shrugged. “Think of it as a gesture of good will, Taylor. Your introduction to us has not exactly been off to the best start. Helping us to see the limits of your abilities does bring back some of the trust that you are willing to work with us in the future instead of taking…extreme measures.”  
  
“Am I only not being arrested because I freaked out and you found out I’m a cape?” I asked. Kayden’s hand on my shoulder squeezed while Miss Militia sighed.  
  
“I’m not going to lie. I am not remotely comfortable with any of this. There were a multitude of actions that could have been taken before resorting to approaching the gangs. I am not like Armsmaster, I can’t see any way that that was justified. However,” she said, shaking her head, “I can agree that a panicking teenager doesn’t think clearly. Had Shadow Stalker not already been healed I’m sure that harsher terms and punishments would’ve been called for, you are lucky that this is not the case.”  
  
“And there are the extenuating circumstances,” Kayden said. “The PRT knows that if this is brought before a court you’d get off with a slap on the wrist and lots of people in their organization would lose their jobs. PR is a real deal for more than just Kaiser, Taylor.”  
  
“Yes, unfortunately,” Miss Militia agreed. “Arguably, it’s _more_ important for the PRT.”  
  
“Shouldn’t being a hero be enough?” I asked. The elevator stopped and the Protectorate member led the way to the gym. “Why the song and dance?”  
  
“In a word: Endbringers.” I frowned at that but before I could ask anything she continued on. “We need to make sure that we are able to keep working together with the villains and Independents for whenever the Endbringers attack. Without their assistance, the heroes defending the world would be alone against those monsters.”  
  
“Oh.” So they had to look like they were in control even when they weren’t; otherwise the villains would never trust them enough to go and fight the Endbringers. Well that was…disturbingly political.  
  
“Here’s the gym, Cherub, Ms. Russel. I know we aren’t going to be able to get the official testing setup for a few days, but this should suffice for a safe place to practice at least. I was told there were a few Wards utilizing it as well.”  
  
“That’s not my name,” I grumbled.  
  
“Well we are in the public facilities now, so codenames are appropriate again.”  
  
“No, I mean that’s _not_ my name,” I said sighing.  
  
She just nodded as her eyes crinkled with a smile as she headed to the door. There was something slightly off about the way she was looking at me, but without being able to see her mouth, I really couldn’t tell what it was. Maybe I should give my minion a bandana and practice expressions later. Eh, it wasn’t important. The PRT’s goal was pretty obvious anyway. Honestly, they could stand to be a bit _less_ overt about getting me used to the Wards and trying to lessen the influence Purity had over me.  
  
I snorted at that thought. At least they didn’t know everything about me. Besides, I didn’t really mind meeting the other Wards. Clockblocker was always hilarious whenever he was in public and Vista was sweet. I didn’t know much about the others, but I had to believe that Sophia was the outlier. They couldn’t _all_ be bad…right?  
  
My blood chilled as I walked past Miss Militia and stepped into the gym, my eyes widening at the sight of a far too familiar figure near the bench.  
  
“Stalker, seriously, _come on_!” a guy with brown hair and a red visor groaned. I recognized that voice too: Kid Win. “They said _immediately_ after you got out of the shower.”  
  
“They didn’t tell _me_ that,” Sophia said. My lip curled as I heard the condescending sneer in her voice.  
  
“Because you were in the damn shower! You’re on _lockdown_! Please! I want to work on my new gun, but I can’t go until you go back to the main rooms.”  
  
“Fuck you, I’ll go when I’m ready.”  
  
“Why do you have to be such a bitch?!”  
  
“You’re not the one who just got their teeth kicked in and had to deal with Little Miss Holier-Than-Thou for an hour so excuse me if I have more aggression to work out. Go and get Gallant if you want to be a little bitch about it.”  
  
Kayden stopped behind me and snarled low. “What is this, Militia?”  
  
“All I knew was that Wards would be present,” Militia murmured.  
  
My fists had clenched and I was breathing in long deep breaths. Fucking bitch. I’d have to burn my underwear with _her_ logos now and get new Armsmaster ones. I would _not_ rise to this bait. As much as I _wanted_ to, I would _not_.  
  
The two Wards finally noticed that they were not alone as the door whooshed shut behind us and they turned. Kid Win just cocked his head to the side and frowned while Sophia stood and started walking towards us.  
  
“New recruit MM?” Sophia asked. Her eyes narrowed behind her domino mask as she got closer. I was surprised it took so long for her to recognize me. It wasn’t like I was in a costume. A simple, PRT issued mask didn’t do much to hide my identity from anyone who knew me outside. And yet this stupid psychopath had to be nearly three feet from me before she ended up being rooted to the floor. When she did, her lips curled into the mockery of a grin. “Well, well, you little bitch. Interesting timing, seeing _you_ here weakling. Get too scared from school? Finally too much for you?”  
  
“Shut up.” I would not fight her. I would not fight her. I would be _better_ than this. I would be _better_ than her. I’d already gotten my revenge.  
  
 _And yet she’s already healed and still pissing off her teammates and it hasn’t even been a single day._  
  
“You know, gotta say, you showing up at the PRT _now_ is a bit hmm, _suspect_. I mean, one Ward gets beaten up, and another shows up afterwards?”  
  
“Shut _up_.” My palms were warm and I could feel the trickle of something sticky seeping between my fingers. I would not summon a minion. I _would not_. I _was better than her_.  
  
“Stalker, you’re on thin ice. Come _on_. We need to go back to the dorms,” Kid Win said trying to step between us only for Sophia to push him to the side.  
  
“We’re not staying for this. Come on, Tay-Cherub.”  
  
“That’s _not my name_!” I shouted shaking off Kayden’s hand, my eyes never leaving Sophia’s.  
  
“Everyone calm down right now,” Miss Militia stated, stepping to the side, her hand at her side as her weapon shifted to a baton.  
  
Sophia just smirked. “You’re the one who set the fuckers on me aren’t you. That was that look at lunch. You know I’m almost impressed, Hebert. I didn’t think you had it in you. I thought you would be a sheep until the day you died. And yet…you’re still a sheep aren’t you? You still couldn’t do it yourself. Couldn’t get your own hands dirty. You had to get someone else to do your dirty work. Did you trigger from knowing you were such a bad girl afterwards? Going to the Empire messed you up that bad, huh?”  
  
“What’s she talking about?” Kid Win asked.  
  
Miss Militia had apparently had her fun. “Stalker! Go back to the dorms. NOW!”  
  
“Maybe if you hadn’t threatened to _fucking kill me_ I would’ve been able to walk away.”  
  
“Aww, did I hurt your feelings? Little old me?”  
  
Kayden grabbed my shoulders and tried to pull me back, but I bared my teeth at Sophia. “You took _everything_ from me!”  
  
“Please, all I did was rough you up. If you couldn’t deal with that you deserved everything that was coming to you, you pathetic piece of shit. Emma thought up half of the best stuff we did.”  
  
Miss Militia stepped forward, leveling her hand at Sophia as her power formed into a small taser. “Stand down. I won’t say it again.”  
  
“Stalker! Whatever the hell is going on, _stop_!” Kid Win yelled. He stepped between us again, holding his arms to either side.  
  
“She would _never_ do that!” She wouldn’t, it was all Sophia’s fault! Emma would never betray me without that psycho whispering in her ear!  
  
“Believe whatever you want Princess.” The bitch actually smirked at me.  
  
I could only growl.  
  
“Stop!” Kayden yelled behind me, just as Sophia started forward, dodging around Kid Win and ducking under Miss Militia’s taser, her fist swinging towards my head. I didn’t even think, my minion sprang forward and tanked the first blow. Sophia’s fist wasn’t remotely powerful enough to break the cherub and I had the minion follow through. It grabbed Sophia’s hand, pushed against the air to knock her arm to the side and did a mini-pirouette around her wrist to fly up her arm, smashing into her nose. Sophia rocked backwards, blood spurting out of her nose as my minion settled on her face, fist pulled back.  
  
“Cherub!” Miss Militia shouted at the same time as Kayden yelled, “Taylor!”  
  
“My name is _Hardlight_!” I screamed. The minion punched the bitch in the face again, then vanished and I turned my head to stare at Miss Militia. “You wanted me to fight? To show everyone that I’m ‘unstable’ or something? Well congratu-fucking-lations bitch. Fuck you and fuck the PRT. I should just take my goddamn chances with the Empire at this rate because every time I turn around you bastards are fucking me over. Call me whenever you get power testing set up. If you still want me to work with the rest of the Wards, _fine_ , I’ll _try_. They can’t _all_ be psychopaths like this bitch, because if they were this city would already be dead. But I’m not making any goddamn promises anymore and I’m not signing any paperwork. And I’m sure as shit not working with _you_. Let’s go home, Kayden.”  
  
“Well done, Hebert. Finally grew a fucking spine,” Sophia said, shaking her head and chuckling. “You’ll be right next to me with a chain around your neck any day now. A rabid dog like you will end up the same as a predator like me at the end of the day.”  
  
“I am _nothing_ like you!” I snarled, twirling on my heel and stalking out of the room.  
  
I was not like Sophia. I would _never_ be like Sophia.

* * *

The car ride was quiet. The bandages on my hands were frustrating too.  
  
“Taylor, we’re going to have to tell you father something about how you hurt your hands.”  
  
“I fell and skidded on the sidewalk.”  
  
“He’s…not going to believe that, sweetie,” she sighed.  
  
“He’s not going to ask anything deeper anyway. I don’t even know why you stay. He’s barely even there anymore. It’s like he died when Mom did. How did you even start dating to begin with?” I was being petty and vindictive and I knew it. It didn’t change that I wanted to lash out at someone.  
  
Kayden grimaced, shaking her head. “Danny has his good days. You don’t really see much of them, because he, well he shuts down at home a lot, but he _does_ have good days, Taylor.”  
  
“He shuts down around me you mean.”  
  
“I…didn’t say that.”  
  
I shook my head, not bothering to respond. Instead I stared at my hands. “My minions can fix this in a half hour or so. The cuts weren’t deep.”  
  
“Do it at night then. Not in the car. That’s an easy way to get found out. Wait…you mean they can heal you?”  
  
“Ugh, fine. And yeah, minor regeneration. Nothing to write home about, but I wasn’t kidding when I said I feel better when I hold them.” I fell silent for another few blocks before finally I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask. “Why did she do that?”  
  
Kayden was quiet for so long I was worried she wouldn’t respond at first. At last, she said, “Miss Militia is, let’s say, ‘dedicated’. She fully believes in the American Dream and she’s very principled. Kaiser used to say that she doesn’t exactly rebel, but she will do minor things to show her displeasure with bad decisions. Things like not averting a meeting between rivals to see how it plays out. I doubt she intended it to go quite that far, if only because she would be worried that it would end up pushing you away from the PRT and pushing me back to my roots. But…still…”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“Taylor, I have to ask, when you were yelling about the Empire, were you serious? Being fully Independent with no ties to the PRT at all…it’s not safe Taylor. I’d sooner see you in the Empire than I would see you go that route. That would likely end in an early grave. I can do it because I can fly away from danger and I’m one of the strongest blasters on this coast, but you’re not at that level yet. If you were truly intending to cut yourself off entirely…”  
  
I shook my head. “No. I was angry and frustrated, but no. I can’t go to them. Maybe I can try to seduce a few capes _away_ from them if - like you said - there were some people on the fence about the whole ‘being a Nazi’ thing, but actually joining them wholesale? No. I’d sooner just move to a different city and find an independent group or something. Maybe try to join the Guild. Narwhal’s in the Guild. That would be nice if…you know, things go that far.”  
  
“I suppose I could see the appeal there.”  
  
“Kayden, the Protectorate, the Wards, they can’t…They can’t _all_ be that bad…right?” I whispered.  
  
“I hope not, Taylor. Aegis seemed nice at least. He was pretty too, right?”  
  
“Lesbian. Remember?”  
  
She chuckled and reached over and ruffled my hair. “I know. Still, just because you prefer women doesn’t mean you can’t admire men too.”  
  
“He’s how many years younger than you? That’s just creepy.”  
  
“I am literally engaged to your father. I am trying to engage you in conversation, child, and you are not cooperating. I’m scraping the barrel here. Forgive me for delving into the awkward. There’s not exactly a plethora of female teenagers that we ran across during our day that I can try to divert the conversation towards.”  
  
I snorted. “Wow, you’re bad at this.”  
  
“You’re not going to win any awards either, Miss.”  
  
“Yeah, but I at least have the excuse of being 15. What’s your excuse?”  
  
“Umm, bad friends?”  
  
“That’s a statement of fact, not an excuse.”  
  
Kayden laughed and nodded. “This is true. So, quick serious question now that we are basically home: do you want to tell Danny about everything, pieces of it, or nothing at all for now?”  
  
I let my eyes close as I centered myself while we pulled into the driveway. “Is it okay if we don’t tell him just yet? I’d…I’d like to figure out…myself before I tell him. He’s worried about things as it is. It hasn’t even been a month yet…”  
  
“Okay. Whenever you’re ready, Taylor, just let me know.”  
  
“I will.” I pushed open the door and looked back at her, giving her a small smile. “Kayden…thanks.”  
  
“Always, Taylor.”


	5. Interlude A

**Interlude A**  
  
“You could very well have gotten everyone in that room killed.”  
  
“Yes, Ma’am.”  
  
“You could have gotten everyone in this _building_ killed,” Piggot growled.  
  
“Yes, Ma’am,” Hannah said, barely suppressing her wince.  
  
“Purity is a _Blaster 8_. Within 2,000 miles she is second only to Legend.”  
  
“Yes, Ma’am.”  
  
“You not only allowed her step-daughter to walk into a room with the girl who might as well have caused her trigger, but you allowed the situation to deteriorate to actual blows being exchanged.”  
  
“Yes, Ma’am.” This time she did actually cringe.   
  
“You quite possibly prevented us from learning anything about the girl’s powerset.”  
  
“Yes, Ma’am.”  
  
“We _had her Hannah_!” Piggot shouted, spittle flying as her hand slammed on the table and she leaned forward halfway over the desk. “ _We fucking had her_!”  
  
Hannah lifted her head to meet Piggot’s eyes and scowled. “I realize that. How was I supposed to know that she was telling the truth? She’s living with Purity! She’s a Nazi and she set Nazis on the only black Ward. I didn’t know that Sophia would be in that room, but I knew her habits and I knew there were better than even odds and she deserved a chance to air her grievances to the _Nazi_ that set the assault in motion!”  
  
Piggot’s lips curled and she fell back into her seat, folding her hands in front of her and taking several deep breaths before she spoke again, her voice perfectly level and monotone. “You are a cape. Further, you are a _Protectorate_ cape. You deal with _people_ on a day to day basis. You are not _Armsmaster_. You do not have _issues_ with _people_. You should have been able to read that room as easily as I could.”  
  
“Ma’am - ”  
  
“Be _quiet_ ,” Piggot hissed. Hannah’s mouth snapped shut with an audible click. “That girl is _alone_. She is _desperate_. Purity is currently her sole influence. We had _every chance_ to change that. We had her agreeing to regular interactions with the Wards. We were weeks if not _days_ away from having her sign up with us and getting her away from Purity’s influence entirely. Aegis was agreeing with everything she was saying and I have not had a single interaction with Sophia Hess that leads me to doubt anything the girl claimed. Hess’ own statements, that you and Kid Win have reported, further confirm it. Hebert _wanted_ to have peers. She _wanted_ to have someone who would support her besides her Nazi step-mother. _And you just drove her into the hands of the enemy_!”  
  
“We don’t know how much Purity has already corrupted her,” Hannah said, her voice soft and the excuse weak even to her own ears. How could she have missed this? It had been right under her nose the entire time. The Wards were her responsibility. That this could have slipped right past her…  
  
She was supposed to be taking care of them, watching out for them.  
  
“And now we may _never_ know,” Piggot snarled. “If I was in her position, I sure as hell would not be humoring us by completing the power testing.”  
  
“She…has to…”  
  
“Nothing was signed before she left. It was going to be signed _after_ she had interacted with one or two of the more well-adjusted Wards. While we had time to draft the initial NDAs. Which we _also_ didn’t get signed. Neither she nor Purity are under _any_ legal obligation to withhold what they know about Shadow Stalker’s identity or actions. We are forced to trust in their _goodwill_. The goodwill of a parahuman child whose sole influence is a _Nazi_.”  
  
“I…” Hannah hung her head again. “She stopped with just two punches. She could have gone further. She…should have gone further with what Sophia was implying. If she had that sort of restraint, I doubt she would release any of the information she has. She also likely will still go to the testing.”  
  
“We can only hope.” Piggot shook her head. “You really fucked this up, Hannah. I used to think that out of all of the capes in this godforsaken city, I could at least trust _you_ to act rationally.”  
  
“Yes, Ma’am,” Hannah murmured.  
  
“Miss Militia, I’ve already spoken with Armsmaster, you are no longer second in command. You will no longer oversee the Wards. Assault will take your position with the city and Battery will take your position with the Wards. You will remain in the city, however you will endeavor to have no interactions with either Purity or Cherub. Normally I would put you on paperwork or console duty, however we both know that I don’t have the manpower to do that at this time.”  
  
“I understand, Ma’am.”  
  
Piggot let out a small sigh. “I never thought I would see the day that Armsmaster would be better at personal interactions than you. You’re dismissed.”  
  
Before Hannah stood, she had to ask, “Ma’am…Hardlight, she’s still not going to be punished for her actions? She set _Nazis_ on a girl. Ward or not, that should have _consequences_.”  
  
“As a _civilian_ yes, it should. Not as a _cape_. No one was aware of powers, it was a dispute between two teenage girls. One of whom had threatened assault and the other of whom escalated in self-defense when no authority figures responded. What would you have preferred to happen, Hannah? That she incite the media? Get a camera and record the abuse at the next attempt? Let’s assume she was able to get that footage and find a network willing to give her fifteen minutes. Do you realize what would have happened at that point?”  
  
“Sophia would have had to face the consequences as we would have become aware of the events,” Hannah immediately replied, frowning.  
  
“No. She would’ve been murdered before the day was out as every nearby Empire member looking to increase their standing tried to make a go for her.” Hannah’s eyes widened and she gasped at Piggot’s nonchalant statement. “I can cite you three incidents off-hand of that exact same circumstance. Ironically, Hebert managed to keep things _quiet_ in her attempt to escape her torment. Did she have options? Certainly. Options that her step-mother admitted to being in the process of pursuing, options that the _teenager_ was not aware of. We cannot prosecute her as a cape. We cannot even begin to prosecute her as a civilian; no lawyer would look twice at this as there is nearly no chance of a conviction.”  
  
“But -”  
  
“I have worked with Legal for years, Hannah. Prior attempt on her life. Self-defense. Continued fear for her life. Attempts to de-escalate. No submissible proof. Incriminating statements by Hess. Systematic administrative corruption.” Piggot snorted. “By the end of the first day, the DA would be lucky to walk away with their job. Now that Tibbets isn’t stonewalling things, lawyers would be chomping at their bits to get at this. The _best_ case scenario is that it stayed in the civilian sector and that only the school was brought into it. So yes, Hannah, Hebert is getting off free. The PRT can’t do anything because it’s not realistically a PRT case until it _becomes_ one and then _we all lose_. I for one, would prefer to at least _try_ to rebuild the burned bridge between the strongest blaster in the city and her daughter with god-knows-what powers. At least then, _maybe_ we can pull something positive out of this dumpster fire.”  
  
Hannah hung her head, nodding slowly. “I just…they are _Nazis_.”  
  
Piggot sighed. “I understand. I do. There are no good answers here, just less horrible ones. If you truly wish to make this a hill to die on, do it as a civilian, Hannah. But I warn you, at minimum you’ll be going against Carol Dallon, because now her firm is going to be willing to take this case if the Heberts ask.” Piggot shook her head. “There’s no actual evidence yet that Hebert herself is inclined to her step-mother’s extremist views and every chance we can take to further distance the two should be jumped at. She’s a desperate teenager whose only resource is _Purity_ and she’s a recent trigger to boot. Parahumans are not stable at the best of times, and she goes to _Winslow_ , I shouldn’t need to remind you of their reputation. Do you really think that there was ever any option of this _not_ happening when Sophia continued to push her, Hannah? Truly?”  
  
Hannah’s head dropped into her hands and she bit the side of her mouth. “How did I miss this?”  
  
“You trust them too much. I don’t trust them at all. I don’t trust any of you. And yet, somehow, I missed it too. This shitstorm isn’t just on you, Hannah. Go. Do whatever it is you do to rest. I need to try and fix this before it gets any worse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post note: Piggot's 'Cherub' comment is not a typo or an intended slight, she is unaware of Taylor's chosen name and MM's lack of correction is also not an intended slight, she just has other things on her mind at the moment.


	6. Dawn 01

**Dawn 01**

I pulled a seraph into being, a grimace crossing my face and I had to drop the five cherubs I had already manifested. "Yeah, no, that's not going to work. I can't keep two different types up."

"Okay, well at least we know for sure now," Purity said, nodding. "I still don't see why we couldn't just do this, you know, at home."

"Half the point of being a cape is to be _visible_ isn't it?" I said, as I summoned three more seraphs. "If you aren't going to let me actually patrol yet, I should at least make sure that people know that there are capes around. Maybe just the deterrent will keep some people safe who wouldn't have been safe otherwise."

Purity frowned as she looked both ways down the side of the street near my chosen empty lot. "There are…other places we could be making our presence known."

I smirked and sent a seraph to fly a circle around her. "This place is good."

"You're playing with fire here, Hardlight." She sighed, shaking her head and crossing her arms, her foot even tapping against the asphalt.

"You said you wanted to do better. You _promised_ that you would be willing to listen to some of my demands. Working near Empire territory is one of those. This helps distance me from those bastards and it helps to show that maybe _you_ are actually willing to fight against them."

"Or, counterpoint, it could show that we _are_ affiliated with them and that they are trying to subtly expand their holdings."

I scowled, more minions popping up and surging over to start playing with the abandoned hunk of a car in the corner of the lot. "Bullshit. The PRT are still apologizing for that shitshow in the gym. They wouldn't send out that narrative unless they were actually _trying_ to force me into joining up with the damn Empire."

Purity shook her head, dropping her hands to the side. "T-Hardlight, that isn't what the PRT is going to say. It's what Kaiser is going to say."

Several of my minions vanished as I froze and looked at her. "No."

"Yes. I told you, he's very good at manipulation and public relations. Anything good we do here, even just simply 'showing the cape' he could spin. There's really only two ways to prevent it."

"And they are?" I asked. I refused to let my rising blood pressure or my increased heartbeat influence my voice. Those bastards did not get to twist what I was trying to do to fit _their_ world view! I was supposed to be _smarter_ than this! I was supposed to be _helping_ people, not being thrown right back into being a powerless idiot getting stepped on by everyone around her!

"Well one is being attacked by the Empire capes themselves, but Kaiser is never going to make that kind of mistake. Not yet at least. The second would be to have New Wave come by and we do a fairly public handshaking thing with them. Again, not likely to happen."

"Because you're Purity."

"Because I'm Purity. Also, I don't have their number and they don't usually patrol in this area."

I scowled and kicked out at a rock as two of my minions punched the car closer towards the nearby wall. "I'm going to be sixteen soon. I shouldn't have to deal with politics."

"Welcome to being a cape. This is the sort of thing that the PRT could help with. As much as I despise bowing to them after what they pulled…it would help to go back. I really do think that you need a full suite of testing before we go on an actual patrol. We could figure out the healing thing too that way. That would be a _lot_ of good PR."

"I know, I know," I bit out. The seraphs finished moving the car - I conveniently ignored the new dents in the panels - and a few flew back towards me while the rest vanished. "Aegis was nice…Fine, but I'm still not working with Miss Militia."

"That's completely understandable. Now can we please leave before - Ah damn." Purity sighed as a soft whine sounded. She lifted into the air, hovering about 5 feet up as I summoned five minions to surround me. An instant later, a hoverboard flew over the rooftop to my right, and a white and red suited teenager walked around the corner of the lot.

Kid Win stayed hovering in the air, his board floating down to match Purity's height as Clockblocker held up a hand in greeting. "Evening folks. Kid and I were just out and about and we happened to see a bit of light. Figured we should check out what the resident sympathizer was up to. Cherub, you should probably keep better company, just saying."

I scowled, another seraph popping into existence behind me head and hovering in midair I glared at Clockblocker. Before I could do more than open my mouth though, Kid Win beat me to it. "I told you, that's not what she wanted to be called. Hi, please excuse him, he lacks manners. I didn't catch your _actual_ name when we last met. I'm Kid Win."

My scowl lost some of its edge and I peered up at the tinker. "Hardlight. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult Purity. Just because it may have been deserved before, doesn't mean it applies now."

"I can speak for myself," Purity commented. She let herself drop back to the ground and shook her head. "I'm surprised your superiors are letting you speak with us at all honestly. Isn't standing orders to have the Wards avoid me?"

"Orders have recently changed. Not that they don't always change at the drop of a hat or the phase of the Moon, but specifically, they have changed," Clockblocker said. He looked towards me, shaking his head. "Seriously girl, I don't know what your deal actually is, but for once I wasn't actually kidding. You need better company."

"So I should just run to the people who set me up? Is that what you're saying?" I asked, my scowl back in full force and my heart rate rising again.

"Set you up? What are you talking about?"

Kid Win dropped his hoverboard down and grabbed Clockblocker's shoulder. "Gag order. It wasn't intended to do anything except to protect your identity. I'm sorry, we really just wanted to say hello and make sure everything was okay here."

I took a breath and nodded once. "I'm…practicing. I wanted people to know I was here to prevent any muggings or robberies while I was nearby."

"That's not a bad plan. We'll let you get back to it. Call the hotline if anything happens and we'll be back fast to help out. Clock, time to go."

"They are literally sitting two blocks away from Nazi Land and we're not going to do anything?" Clockblocker said. I didn't have to see his face to know he was scowling. "This is bullshit. I'm calling this in."

"I told you this location was a bad idea," Purity sighed.

"I didn't know about the fucking _politics_ ," I snapped. "I was trying to help your image! Maybe if you had explained things _before_ we got here I would've actually listened."

"Seriously, it's okay, Hardlight. I don't know why everyone always goes to Boat Graveyard to test their abilities; it's a quick way to get into a fight with _someone_. Clock, let's _go_. There's details here that you don't know. Have a pleasant evening ladies."

He pulled Clockblocker's arm one more time and just as the two turned to leave, my eyes were drawn to the rooftop to the left. The rooftop that was casting a circular shadow on the ground now. No, not the roof, the piece of concrete hovering over it and just now flying into the clearing of my abandoned lot.

Purity groaned, her hand slapping her face. "This evening could not get worse."

I on the other hand, grinned as Rune and Krieg came into view sitting on the concrete block, and summoned fifteen minions total between them and me. Rune's black and red robes were more something I would expect Myrddin to wear than a Nazi, but hey, whatever floated her boat. I was still in my off-white jeans and long sleeve shirt after all.

The two Empire capes were apparently as surprised to see the Wards as the Wards were to see them - at least going by how Rune's mouth fell open as she stared at Kid Win and Kid Win scrambled for the gun at his belt. For a long moment, all six of us stared at each other.

Then Krieg cleared his throat. "Well, this is already going _wonderfully_. Anyone feel like calling a mulligan and we all go home and try this some other time?"

"Why are there Wards here?" Rune asked, shifting rapidly between me and the Protectorate folk. "I thought this was just - "

"Stand down now!" Kid Win shouted, finally getting his gun out and sighting on the Empire capes. "Rune, Krieg, you're under arrest!"

"Console, two E88 capes on-scene. Engaging." Clockblocker took a stance slightly to the side of Kid Win, but still shielding his teammate. That made sense; if Rune tried to throw something at him, Clockblocker could freeze it and both could either hide or run.

Krieg scowled and reached for his own gun at his side, lifting it from the holster, yet not leveling it. "We came to speak with the girl. This is none of your business, Ward. Leave and no one has to be embarrassed."

"Funny, I remember the last time we fought, you became a pigeon statue for nearly eight minutes!" Clockblocker shouted back.

"And yet I still walked away at the end, child. Purity, please assist in removing these children before they get themselves hurt."

My stepmother slowly shook her head and rose to hover in midair setting herself between both groups. I was the sole person standing off to the side in this. How the hell had that happened? "We were already leaving. Let's just…everyone go their own way."

I growled to Purity. " _What_?! You _need_ to do better! You _promised you would_!"

"We are twenty feet away, and Purity and Cherub are present," Clockblocker was muttering into his earpiece. "Standing down is a bad idea, Console."

"Hardlight, this is not the time," Purity hissed. "They are - "

"Right there!"

"Not doing anything," she finished. "I can't just attack them when they aren't committing any crimes!"

Rune nodded, pointing to Purity. "Exactly. Look, we were just here to - "

"Well _I can_." I growled and bulked my minions up to twenty strong. The seraphs surged forward swarming towards Rune's platform. She yelped and raised it back into the air even as several of my minions grabbed the bottom and started to fly down, slowing her ascent and yet more lunged over the edge towards the two capes themselves.

Kid Win launched his board back into the air and started firing towards them. Clockblocker ran towards the nearby fire escape - to try and get closer to them I assumed. Purity grunted and flew to stay between me and the platform as it started tipping in our direction, my minions having noticeable effect. She raised her glowing hand towards them and shouted, "Rune! Leave now while you still can! Krieg cut your losses tonight!"

Kid Win shot several more energy blasts towards the platform even as it started to wobble, more of my minions reaching it and forcing it down. Then, the loud report of gunfire split the night and Kid Win's board spun to the side sparking. I could hear Clockblocker curse as he leaped up the last few rungs, reaching out a hand to the platform. Just before he touched it, the entire thing split in half, my minions on one part and pulling it crashing to the parking lot while the other half surged into the air, spinning wildly.

I winced as I lost fifteen minions as they were crushed under the rubble. The rest immediately shifted to fly towards the remaining platform. I summoned more to push my numbers back up and started running after Rune on the street so I could keep her new, smaller platform in sight.

"Hardlight, stop!" Purity shouted behind me. I ignored her and kept running. The concrete stabilized just as my new seraph swarm reached them. The minions flowed over the edge and reached for Krieg. He shot several, though he couldn't stop two from reaching him. The minions slowed as they entered the range of his kinetic field, their movements seeming to crawl. He scowled and turned towards me, even as he swung a bat into the closest minions. His other hand lifted his gun to sight on me. I pulled three seraphs into being directly between us.

Then a scream rent the air. " _You will not hurt her_!" And Rune's platform neatly exploded in a beam of light.

I skidded to a halt, my eyes wide. Did Kayden just…A female scream cut through the blood roaring in my ears and I saw Rune falling through the sky just ahead of me. Without thinking, I formed a minion just below her. It caught her just before she would have slammed into the ground. I didn't see Krieg anywhere.

Trying to ignore the shudder that crept down my spine, I ran to Rune, dismissing the minion even as she pulled herself to her feet, one arm cradled in the other as blood ran down the injured one. She shook her head from side to side, whipping her hood about and backpedaled. "Stop, stop! Jesus christ, we were just going to introduce ourselves! You're with fucking _Purity_ , we thought you would be _friendly_! We weren't trying to fight. I'm sorry, look you got me okay, just fucking _stop_!"

For the second time that night, I froze as I stared. She was my age. And she was _terrified_. Try as I might, I couldn't see the Nazi under the hood, all I could see was a girl with a broken arm who was scared to death of _me_. Or…of Purity…

I took a breath and let it out slow, trying to force the shaking in my hands to stop and the roaring blood in my ears to die down. It didn't help much. "I'm not joining the Empire. I'm - I'm trying to make Purity a better person…"

"Well I was friends with her and used to work with her and she just practically killed me so _good fucking job_!"

Speak of the devil, Purity dropped down in front of me, letting Krieg fall limp at Rune's feet. She hurried back-stepped away, her hands held up, this time the glow was absent. "I'm sorry, I overreacted. I didn't mean for this to escalate like this. Just, just go."

"What?" Rune asked, her head snapping to Purity.

"I know you were just trying to recruit her. She's new and she reacted and I overreacted and now it's done. It's - I'm sorry, just please go."

Krieg groaned though he didn't move. Rune stared down at him then looked at me. "Fuck this night. I just wanted to say hello to a new cape. Screw you both!" She knelt and touched the sidewalk. A rune flaring to life on the slab below her and Krieg. A few seconds later it tore itself from the ground and they were flying away, back towards Empire territory.

"Hey!" Clockblocker shouted down from the roof above us. He was jabbing a hand at Rune as she vanished over the next building. "Hardlight, don't let them get away!"

I could only turn my own eyes onto the ground as my seraphs vanished around me. I heard metal slapping on pavement behind us, so at least Kid Win was okay. Purity reached out a hand towards my shoulder.

I flinched away before she could touch me.


	7. Dawn 02

**Dawn 02**

The school day passed in blur for once. I was actually experiencing a modicum of peace today. Sophia was nowhere to be found - which was a good sign for the Protectorate. Maybe they could actually follow through on one thing at least. What was a bit more surprising was that Madison and Emma were also absent. I wasn't going to complain. Any excuse to get away from the Trio was a good one. I only needed to deal with this for another week or two and then I would be permanently free.

I forced down a shiver and tried not to think about what would happen if home-schooling fell through.

With the Trio gone and their hangers-on aimless, it seemed safe enough to eat in the cafeteria for once. If anyone was looking for me, they would never think to check there anyway. Hide in plain sight. I shouldn't have to hide anymore…How had my attempts to take back some agency for myself made things even _worse_?

I pulled out the pita that Kayden had made for me, my lip quivering while my stomach flipped as I stared at it. I glared at the stupid, beautiful sandwich even as my eyes narrowed to slits.

"Jeez, what did the bread do to you?"

My head jerked up and I nearly dropped my pita as a blonde dropped into the seat across from me. No…not blonde. Her hair was dyed - the roots were starting to show. I remembered the tell-tale signs from when Emma was still giving me beauty tips. Even with the bleach, she still nearly made me blush as I took in her red spaghetti top and tight jeans. "What are you doing here?" Smooth, Taylor, real smooth.

The girl lifted her eyebrows and held up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Eating. That alright with you?"

I frowned. "I meant what are you doing sitting _here_."

She shrugged. "I'm a bit annoyed with my usual group and this is Shitslow. It's a bit dangerous to sit with anyone else."

Glancing around the cafeteria I couldn't really dispute that. There were the ABB tables, the Empire tables, the track table, and the popular table. Whichever group she normally sat with, it wasn't exactly the smartest idea to move to another section. I had forgotten how bad the cafeteria was. Maybe it would have been smarter for me to eat in the bathroom like normal.

"I'm Tammi."

"Taylor."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know." Instantly I sat up straighter, my eyes locking back onto her. Tammi snorted and rolled her eyes. "Wow, you're jumpy. Word gets around fast, Taylor, especially in this school. You got guts, you may not be the smartest knife, but you've got enough guts to make up for it. Pro-tip, if you go talking to the recruiters again, don't mention your religion. Eric doesn't care, but others here do."

"Are you threatening me?" I asked, my voice low and my pita forgotten. Just because she was pretty didn't mean I could drop my guard. This was _Winslow_.

"What the hell did I say that would make you think that?" Tammi glanced up, frowning. She shook her head and swallowed part of her sandwich before waving a hand behind her. "I'm just saying, this school is a nightmare. Just be careful who you talk to; that's all I meant. Shit, I'm 0 for 2 for talking to people."

My fist unclenched and I sighed, reaching for my drink. "Sorry. It's…been a bad few days."

"I hear ya. I didn't exactly have the best night last night either. I'm surprised to see you here actually. Didn't think I'd see you back around. Figured your folks would've pulled you out already before things heated up."

I grunted. Nearly half my pita was finished before I finally mustered up the effort to reply. "We can't afford Immaculata and I don't have the grades to get into Arcadia anymore without people pulling strings. Home-schooling takes a while to get set up apparently."

Tammi nodded. "Sounds like Brockton Bay alright. I hate this place. Never should've left home." She speared into her yogurt with a heavy scowl.

"You…moved? Why would your parents move _here_? The Bay used to be great, but I barely even remember those days…"

Tammi shook her head. "Not my folks, just me. They were going in a direction I didn't like. So I moved in with some relatives here. Hasn't worked out, but now I'm pretty much stuck."

My eyes narrowed again and I glanced from her hair to the Empire table. "Stuck how?"

"Same story as most everyone else, I'm sure. You get convinced to start a new job, find out it's not really what you expected, but by then you're in too deep and you can't really walk away without things falling back down on you too. Case in point, last night I tried to talk to a peer; not many other girls in my line of work. Except my boss is an idiot and doesn't know how to de-escalate. So the company I keep brought things to a fight. It was stupid and oh so typical. Life sucks. Welcome to life."

I leaned back, my eyes wide. "If you hate the gang so much; if they're forcing you into fights, _leave_."

She looked up from her food and her mouth set in a thin line as she held my gaze. "Sometimes I wish I could. Nothing's ever that simple though. My bosses would never let me just up and walk away. Don't be like me, Taylor. You've barely touched the edge of this whirlpool. Stay out of this fucking shithole before you get dragged in. Stay out of this school, get out of the Bay if you can. This place…it destroys you. A little bit at a time."

"You work with _Nazis_ ," I hissed.

"Yeah," she said, her smile as far from touching her eyes as possible. "Once they have you, they don't let go. Not without _consequences_. Don't talk to Eric again, Taylor. Don't let the fuckers get their hooks into you too."

She picked up her tray and walked away before I could muster a reply. I stared after her for nearly a minute before my head dropped against the table.

First Kayden, then Rune, and now this girl. Why was I sympathizing with Nazis? When had things stopped being simple?

At least when it was me vs. the Trio, that was simple. That was horrible, but…it had been simple.

* * *

The PRT building had far more people in it than I had expected when I walked in. I had to stop and force myself not to rethink things as I saw all the masses swarming around. Why were there _so many_? Had there been this many when Kayden had brought me in two days ago? Had we even come in this entrance? I definitely didn't remember the TVs in this area or the gift shop in the corner. I had just gotten my nerve back to go talk to the greeter when one of the TVs flipped over to a news segment and I saw a picture of Purity plastered to the side of the reporter. I swallowed my first response and shuffled close enough to hear the report.

" _While we have not yet received an official statement, the reports of Purity, alongside several Wards and one unknown cape, fighting the Empire Eighty Eight have been confirmed by several eyewitnesses. There is no known video footage of the confrontation at this time. Is this the first sign that Purity has indeed separated from her former bedfellows or is this merely the rise of a new splinter faction amongst the Empire? Tune in tonight for our special covering the known history of Purity and her relationship with the Empire Eighty Eight."_

"Splinter faction?" I muttered, glaring at the screen. "Assholes."

Shaking my head and taking a moment to let my scowl drop, I finally moved over to the desk. "Hello. I'm - uh - I'm not really sure how to do this, is Armsmaster available?"

The PRT agent behind the counter looked at me, frowning. "I'm sorry, Miss, but if you wanted to see the Protectorate heroes the tour times are listed on the board to the right. There is, of course, no guarantee that Armsmaster would be working in the public section of his on-site workshop, however I can say he is on the grounds today so you have a good chance."

"No, that's not what I meant," I said. This had been stupid. I should've called ahead. Could I do nothing right this week? "I mean, can I talk to him?"

The agent's frown vanished into a blank expression and he laid one on the table while the other lifted to point at the board again. "As you can see, there are specific tour times, Miss. I recommend you sign up for one."

"No I…I was told that I could ask at the desk for assistance. I was told I could stop by."

His gaze raked over me again, this time focused intently enough that I had to force myself not to step back. "I think I may understand what you are asking for, Miss." I let out the breath I had been holding and nodded, smiling at him. "There is a separate entrance for…that sort of inquiry. It would allow you to…change."

I couldn't stop the grimace from crossing my face before I leaned down to talk softer. "I didn't bring any of my stuff. I…wasn't planning on stopping by. I just…don't really want to go home."

"Were you not told of the other entrance, Miss?"

"No, we left in a bit of hurry last time."

The agent nodded once and stood, his fake smile back and bright enough to light up the room like one of my minions. "Agent Daniels, can you please watch the desk? I need to show this young woman where the restrooms are."

As another PRT man took his place at the desk, the agent gestured for me to follow him as he threaded through the crowds. We made it to near the back of the second hall before he stopped by a door for a family bathroom and pulled out a key. "Through here, Miss. Before you head out the other end, there are mask dispensers on the wall. There will be another agent on the other side who can show you to a waiting room. Don't tell me your name, I shouldn't know. You can tell the other personnel once you pass through the room." He unlocked the door and waved me inside.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. Will the other man be able to tell me where to come next time too so this doesn't get awkward again?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Go on, Miss. They'll go over all the proper procedures."

I smiled and gave him a quick wave as I stepped into the room. As soon as the door closed, I realized why they kept this one locked. It didn't look anything like a bathroom. It was a glorified locker room if anything. The mask dispenser in the corner was almost amusing considering the general ambiance. Well, the mask was nice, but I didn't have to change. I had a short off-white cape with me in place of my trenchcoat and I didn't have my gloves let alone my own mask. Even the cape was just something I had seen while walking over here that I thought might be nicer than the coat.

"This is such a bad idea." I shouldn't be here without Kayden. Especially after Clockblocker had mouthed off last night.

But when I thought of going back for her, or calling her, my stomach roiled. Gripping the bench in front of me, I took several deep breaths. When my pulse had finally slowed, I pulled the cape out of my backpack, grabbed one of the disposable masks and waltzed out of the other door.

True to the greeter's words, there was a PRT agent standing against the wall on the other side. He had one of the foam guns in a holster on his back and his helmet blocked any view of his face, but his posture was relaxed enough that I didn't bristle. Instead, I stepped over and held out my hand. "Hello. I'm Hardlight. I was told I could stop by? Is Armsmaster available?"

He nodded to me, though he didn't lift his hand to shake mine. "Good afternoon, Hardlight. Armsmaster is in a meeting with the Wards at the moment. I don't know how long until he will be free, however I can show you to a room and ensure that someone else comes to speak with you in the meantime."

"Okay that, uh…that works I guess." I let my hand drop back to my side. He turned and started to head up the corridor and I fell in beside him.

"Don't take it personally, Hardlight." I glanced at him though he continued before I could ask what he meant. "Standard protocols usually prohibit physical contact. There are too many capes with Master or Striker powers."

"Oh. That makes sense." I felt my face heat up as I considered that. I was a Master too, of course they wouldn't want to touch me until they knew exactly what I could do.

"Right in here, Ma'am. It might be a few minutes, so please feel free to partake of the refreshments."

"God, you guys really do have random rooms set up with cookies and drinks," I muttered. Apparently that hadn't been a one-off last time. At least I was still full from lunch. The pita had been…very good.

This time I only had to wait about ten minutes before the door opened again. I jumped to my feet, though some of my enthusiasm dropped as Battery walked in, a smile on her face below her visor. Damn. Well, at least it wasn't Miss Militia.

"Hello, Hardlight. Please, don't get up on my account."

I shrugged and sat back down as she took the seat next to me. "Hi. I um, sorry for just…showing up."

"It's perfectly fine. I apologize for making you wait. We had a regularly scheduled meeting. The importance of it was even further exemplified by the events of last night. Before we go any further, I would like to apologize for the rudeness that Clockblocker showed there. That's partially my fault. I didn't explain things fully before his patrol. None of us really expected you to be out near the Wards quite _that_ quickly."

I dropped my eyes to the table, shaking my head. "It's fine. He was an asshole, but…He's not the one who started the fight."

"All the same, he disobeyed a few orders and antagonized Purity as well as yourself. That entire situation could have been avoided if he had had a cooler head."

"You're…not angry at me? For overreacting?"

"You were attempting to apprehend criminals," Battery said, shrugging. "What do I have to be angry over? You could have pulled back, yes, however this wasn't a bad second night out; it's not like you ran into Lung or Kaiser. This was a stumble, nothing more. You should have seen when _I_ started."

I frowned. "Rune and Krieg nearly died. I thought you prefer to arrest people?"

Battery leaned back, shaking her head. "I'm not going to get upset with you over something that Purity did, Hardlight. The two of you are not one and the same and it would be unfair. It's also, unfortunately, expected of her. That's why we prefer to have Protectorate members confronting her, not Wards."

"She's…she's trying…I don't know why she did that." I stared into my hands. Relaxing my control a smidge, I let a minion pop up on the table in front of me and started to stroke its ears.

Battery was silent for a moment before she reached over to touch the projected creature. "I didn't know you could do dogs."

"Can't get the fur right. It's basically just a dog shape. Can you see the full outline? I'm trying to work on the light levels, but I just made this template last night. No one's really looked at it except me, and apparently their brightness doesn't affect me. I'm not sure if I got the dimness right."

"I can see it fine." We petted the light dog in silence for a few more moments. Finally she asked, "Hardlight, do you really not know why Purity shot at Krieg?"

"He was pointing a gun at me," I murmured. I took hold of the nub of a tail on the puppy and pulled, lengthening it. "His finger wasn't on the trigger though. And my minions are bulletproof. She knows that."

"You're also the closest thing she has to a daughter," Battery prompted.

"She's supposed to be doing _better_." The tail still wasn't right. I pushed down at the base, moving the whole structure slightly. Angels were easier. They were simpler to get correct.

"She's human, Hardlight. Have you talked to her yet?"

"Don't want to go home. Went to school to avoid having to talk. Came here after."

Battery laid a hand on mine, forcing me to stop my adjustments and shut my eyes as I took several deep breaths. "Hardlight, you can't avoid her forever. You have to talk to her. You're just going to make it harder on yourself and work yourself up even more. She's your mom. You have to talk to her, otherwise she's going to worry, and you're going to worry, and both of you are going to be miserable."

"I would have thought you would be trying to get me away from Purity."

"My bosses will probably be annoyed that I'm playing counselor, but cape lives suck as it is. There's no need to make things worse by driving a wedge between you and your mom."

"Thanks," I whispered. I lifted my hands from the dog and let the minion fade away. Biting my lip, I nodded once. "I'll talk to her tonight."

"That's a good idea, Hardlight." I lifted my eyes and met her visored gaze as she smiled at me. "Now, did you just come here to get away from home or do you want me to show you around?"

I felt the ghost of a smile tugging at my lips. "I was actually hoping to use the gym this time? Armsmaster had said that I could if I wanted to practice a bit before the official testing thing…"

"And that offer still stands. Come on, I'll take you there myself. Aegis should be about done with things on his end too, so if you want he can meet up with us down there. Or Kid Win, I think he wanted to talk to you too."

I nodded. "I'd like that." Battery was almost at the door yet I had to ask one more thing. "Uh, just to make sure, we're not going to run into So-Shadow Stalker again, right?"

Battery's posture slumped and I could hear the grunt that escaped her before she turned to look at me. "Light, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, that you will _not_ be seeing Shadow Stalker in this building today. I can't say anything more about it unless you sign an NDA, but I'm not going to ask you to do that until your mom is here as well."

"Mother," I murmured as I walked up beside her. "Not 'mom'. I had a mom. Kayden is…she's…she's my mother."


	8. Dawn 03

**Dawn 03**

With my new cape around my shoulders, a mask on my face, and a minion in front of me, the roiling in my stomach had finally diminished. I smiled as I jabbed my arm forward and the seraph flew, its own arm extended out into a point. The seraph smashed into the target dummy with a loud crash and the head of the dummy flew off, neatly bisected. The seraph blipped out. I gaped.

"Holy crap!"

A low whistle behind me sounded out and Aegis stepped to the side, giving me a slow clap. "Wow. I mean, hell, that's terrifying, but wow, still impressive. I thought your stuff was non-lethal?"

"So did I," I replied. I resummoned the seraph and pressed my hand against the knife edge gently. It didn't feel sharp to me. "I knew they could take a hit; I've wanted to try smashing them into things for a while, but I didn't want to damage anything important at home and Purity said that everyone goes to the Boat Graveyard to test their powers so…"

"Yeah, I get it. Is the blunt force version just as damaging? Lethal is, well let's just go with, 'not usually good' and leave it at that."

I grimaced and nodded. "Yeah. I know. I, um, I got a rundown of the basic rules the other night. Let me just think of a name for this guy before I change his template. Hmm, stinger? Striker? Knight?"

"I would think a knight would be more like Gallant," Kid Win commented looking up from the bench in the corner as he finished wrapping his hands in boxing gloves.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll go with 'stinger' for now. I can change it later I guess. What do you think, little guy? Stinger work?" I had it bob its head and wave its arm and blade. Smiling I reached out and started to push the blade back into a more blunt, punching lance thing.

"Wait, they can understand you?" Kid Win asked, cocking his head to the side as he came closer.

"Oh, no, they're not smart enough for that. _Real_ basic commands only. I just like to talk to them. They're…" I hesitated, shutting my eyes and suppressing a sigh. These two had been nice so far and if I was going to actually keep taking the PRT up on their offer to try and work with my peers more often then I would have to actually _talk_ to them at some point. Might as well start now. If they were going to laugh at me, it was better to know now. If I was really going to only have Kayden, then I needed to be aware sooner rather than later. Sophia wasn't going to be around to twist these guys like she had twisted Emma. I had a chance, but I couldn't shoot myself in the foot by hiding. "They're cute and I like it when they react to what I say, even if it's really just me puppetting them."

"Hmm, like an emotional support dog, except made of light," Kid Win said.

I dropped the altered seraph - quietly dubbing him 'lancer' in my head - and pulled out my new dog with a smile. I held him out to the tinker. "I can make those too! Isn't he _adorable_!"

Aegis reached over to run a hand over the dog's back, a small smirk on his face while Kid Win groaned even as he too petted my minion. "Well, Kid, looks like I won that bet, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, lucky guess. This is adorable by the way, Hardlight. A bit bright, but still cute."

"What bet?" I asked.

"I thought that you could make more than just angels and that's why you didn't want the name Cherub." Aegis laughed. "Some of the others disagreed."

"Oh. Um, yeah. I can manifest a lot of different things, but I have to make a new template first. I think. I haven't really tried much beyond angels and the dog. I just didn't really like that name. Cherub is…it seemed juvenile."

Kid Win snorted. "Lady, you obviously have not looked up biblical cherubs. Those things are _terrifying_. Four faces, four wings, ox feet. Some are even just straight up giant wheels with eyes. No thank you."

"Actually," I said, vanishing the dog and pulling up a small spinning wheel minion with a few eyes set into it. "This is a 'throne' angel. Not a cherub. Supposedly they were pretty close in rank, but they were like God's chariot or something and just always sang his praises while being driven around by the cherubs - literally driven. It's kind of creepy if you ask me." I let it vanish and shivered. I pulled out the lancer and setting to work on finishing my refinements. "I have no intent to use those except maybe to unnerve some drug dealers or something."

Aegis stared between the two of us. "How do either of you know that? Also, what the fuck! Wheels with _eyes_? That's an _angel_?!"

I nodded. "My mom was a literature professor. I know a lot of really random things."

Kid Win frowned. "I…didn't realize Purity was…that well rounded."

"Oh, um, I mean my…My mom died a few years back. Purity is…it's complicated."

He nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to bring up something awkward like that. Did you want to try sparring or do you want to test that thing?" He held up one glove and gestured to the finished lancer with the other one.

I swiped my hand towards another dummy and the lancer took to the air bellowing a silent war cry. The dummy flew into the wall behind it, but at least it's head was still intact. The lancer stayed in one piece as well. "Sweet, so the blunted bit makes a difference. Good to know." I turned to Kid Win. "I don't know much about fighting…I usually just ran away. Or just, let So-uh, _her_ hit me."

"Every cape should have at least a general idea about how to fight hand to hand. Even if you only ever use it once or twice, it'll be those times that save your life," he said.

Aegis nodded. "Just because you can summon your projections anywhere doesn't mean you're always going to be safe. There are capes that can interfere with powers."

"That's a good point," I sighed. Holding up my own fists, I tried not to grimace. "Go easy on me?"

Kid Win smirked. "No promises."

* * *

The front door closed behind me with a click. I leaned against it for a moment, taking long enough to breathe in and out like the doctors had told me. My heart rate slowed, I set my backpack down, and called out, "I'm home!"

"Hey, sweetie," Dad yelled back from the living room. The TV's volume lowered and his head poked around the corner. His hair was messy, his shirt was wrinkled, and the bags under his eyes were the same as always. It still hurt to look at him. Would that feeling ever go away? "It's pretty late. Did you stay for a club?"

A _club_? At the school that I _despised_? I walked past him, managing to keep the scowl off my face long enough to at least make sure my back was towards him first. "No, I just went for a jog after school. The weather was nice."

"Okay. Well next time, just call. It's getting dark."

"And yet I'm not sweaty and you haven't started calling anyone yet," I muttered.

"Did you say something, Taylor?"

"Nothing, Dad. I'm just going to get some food and then do my homework."

"Call me if you need anything."

I didn't deign to respond to that. The mac'n'cheese in the fridge was already on a plate for me with a small post-it saying how long to reheat it for. Dammit. Why did she have to be so _good_ at this?!

Kayden sat down across from me when I was halfway done with the meal. She didn't say anything, just kept doing her crossword as I ate. I finished up and put everything away, finally turning to her, my heart beat pulsing in my ears again. She gave me a small, sad smile that barely touched her eyes as she inclined her head towards the basement. I shook my head and headed up to my room instead, Kayden following behind.

As soon as she had closed the door behind us I sat down on the bed and summoned the dog minion to play with. Kayden took the chair.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I know you were trying to protect me, but…you can't just _do_ that, Kayden," I murmured. The dog helped. The meds I had taken before walking inside probably helped more. "You're one of the strongest capes in the city. You can't just fire a full blast shot at people like that."

"He was pointing a gun at you. I reacted."

I scowled as I lifted my head to meet her gaze. "You _know_ my minions can stop a bullet."

"Krieg can curve his shots to an extent, Taylor. It's part of his power."

"And has he ever actually killed anyone? I've looked up all of the Empire members, Kayden. I did _a lot_ of research when you started dating my dad. Yes, Krieg is a fucking white supremacist, but there hasn't been a single credible incident where he's ever seriously injured anyone unless Panacea was right there on-scene. So tell me, as someone who has actually worked with him before, was I _actually_ in danger or did you overreact and nearly kill two people."

Kayden winced. "You're…not wrong. Things can of course always change and nothing is ever sure, but Krieg is usually very good about sticking to established lines. He's, well, honorable after a fashion. He's a holdover from the days of Allfather and The Marche, and he fancies himself civilized. He…if he had taken that shot he would likely have only grazed you, if anything. Just enough to scare you."

"And Rune?"

"Rune wouldn't have done anything. She is," Kayden sighed, shaking her head, "someone I abandoned when I left. She was in a bad place when Kaiser got his hooks into her. She has support in the Empire now, but she's never really going to be fully integrated with them - if only because the only one who's sort of close to her in age is Othalla, and even she is married, so they're never going to hang out. Rune is good at intimidation, but when push comes to shove, she doesn't have the stomach for the harder fair that Kaiser would ask. She's an outsider even as they abuse her power, but she doesn't care. Any other city, things would be different. Here? I couldn't do anything for her without drawing a target on her and myself."

"Soo…"

"I know, Taylor, I know." Kayden rubbed at her forehead. As her hand dropped back to her lap she glared at me. "I'm not going to apologize for wanting to protect you though. Being a cape is _dangerous_. Just regular cape fights can be deadly even before getting into psychopaths like Ingenue and the Slaughterhouse Nine, or natural disasters like the Endbringers. One person, with a bad day, equals casualties everywhere."

"That's why we have to be _better_ ," I hissed. "There was an _apartment building_ behind those two, Kayden! You nearly hit the building when you freaked out! I'm not upset that you tried to protect me. I'm upset that you didn't care about almost killing dozens of other people while doing it!"

Kayden's eyes widened and she gasped. "I - I didn't even see it."

"I know! That's why I'm scared! You're basically all I fucking have and I don't even know if I can go out with you now, because what if this happens again?! What if I'm a stupid impulsive idiot who starts another needless fight and you have to save me again - and then you end up becoming a murderer because of it?! Those deaths would be on both of our heads! I fucked up, I get that. I _totally fucking get that_. I know we were only in that position because I was an impulsive idiot twice over, but you _can't_ immediately leap to full power blasts to try to help me, Kayden!"

I was practically panting by the end of my rant and the dog on my head leaned over far enough to lap at my ear. When the fuck had I summoned a second dog? Didn't matter. I stood and started pacing, two of the dogs following at my heels, a third in my arms squirming against my chest, while the fourth on my head steadied itself amongst my hair. "Do you know where I was this afternoon?"

She nodded. "The PRT. I called there as soon as you didn't get off the bus. I'm not entirely sure why you chose _there_ of all places to go, but at least you were safe."

"I was trying to practice somewhere where I couldn't hurt anyone." That wasn't a complete truth, but it was good enough. "I ended up talking with Aegis and Kid Win too. Apparently I suck at hand-to-hand. They're going to help me get better if I keep going back."

"Is that something you want to do?"

"I don't _know_!" I snarled. Stopping my pacing I lifted my arm and pointed at her. "You're supposed to be experienced. You're supposed to warn me before I do something stupid. I've had powers for barely three weeks, Kayden! When you were saying it was a bad idea to go near Empire territory I thought you meant because you didn't want to risk being in a position to fight them which is what _I_ wanted. You should have explained why it was a bad idea before we were already there, not just given up and let me have my way!"

"I could have tried harder, yes. But I didn't want you to close down again. Also, Taylor, I _am_ former Empire Eighty Eight. Habits die hard; I don't want to fight people who used to be my friends, even if they were toxic friends. I want them to get away if we fight, especially if I'm going too far against them. Anything less and they could use it against my family. The politics were completely true, but so are the other reasons. But at the end of the day, I know it's just another excuse. And so, maybe I was a bit more willing to cave to your request. You gave me a reason to push my comfort zone instead of making more excuses. It let me confront that aspect of who I used to be." She spread her arms to the side, sighing. "I am trying, but I don't know how I'm supposed to act with all of this. I'm sorry. There's not exactly a guidebook I can read."

"What if we move?" I asked, dropping back to the bed, the minions clamoring onto my lap.

"Danny loves it here," she said, shaking her head. "I couldn't do that to him."

"Would dad even _notice_?" I asked, scowling. "Did you tell him that you knew where I was? That I was safe? Did he even care enough to start making calls when the sun started to go down? I was trapped in the fucking locker _three weeks ago_! He should _care_ when I'm not home on time from that _hell_!" My eyes were screwed shut and I was panting again. I couldn't get a full breath. My cheeks were wet.

Kayden's arms wrapped around me, pulling my head against her chest as she murmured something above me. I clutched at the dogs with one arm as my other grasped for her shirt.

"I know it hurts, Taylor. I can't fix your dad. All I can do is be there for him and be there for you."

"You _can't_ overreact anymore," I gasped out between my sobbing hiccups. "If we're going to keep going out together, you _can't_ hurt people like that! Not unless I'm _actually_ being hurt, Kayden. I don't - I can't trust dad to be there. I _need_ you to be there instead. I _need_ to be able to trust you to not hurt innocent people just because they're near me."

She was quiet for a long time. Long enough that I was able to get my crying under control. I didn't even think she was going to respond.

And then she did.

"I…am not going to lie to you, Taylor. I can promise that I won't overreact. And I won't promise that I will prioritize strangers' lives over your own. If the choice is between saving you and saving ten others, I'm saving you. That's not even a choice. If that's a problem, I'm sorry, but I'm not as a good a person as you are. I will _always_ choose to save you, Taylor."

The warmth surging through my chest at her words should have made me uneasy.

The way I silently agreed that I'd probably do that same for her if the positions were flipped…that should have scared me.

It didn't.

Did that make me a bad person too?


	9. Dawn 04

**Dawn 04**

"Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked, my lunch box held in one hand as I gestured to the free seat next to Tammi with my other.

The blonde's eyes narrowed as she glanced between me and Julia's - mostly empty - table just down the row. "Something wrong with that one?"

I grimaced. "I can't sit with Julia and her sycophants. They're…not as bad as Sophia and her posse were, but they're close."

"Thought I said to stay the hell away from me?"

"Actually, you said to stay away from Eric," I said, sighing and turning away. This had been a bad idea. I should just go up to the roof like I had originally planned. Even if her table was empty, this was stupid. She worked with the Empire - even if she didn't seem to _like_ them. This was stupid and I couldn't help everyone and I -

"Hey, stop, Jesus Christ you're more skittish than one of Hookwolf's dogs," Tammi muttered. Her hand caught my elbow and dragged me back, nearly forcing me into the seat next to her. "You're an idiot. I told you to stay away."

"I'm only here for another few days. I didn't want to be totally alone for my last high school experience." I pulled out today's pita, groaning as the yogurt under it was exposed. "Do you want a strawberry yogurt? I hate these things, but Kayden forces me to eat them. Something about a balanced diet."

Tammi froze for a brief second as I held out the yogurt. "You call your mom by her name? Or is that your nanny or something?"

"Stepmom. Do you want it or not?"

She snatched it from my hand, glaring at the cup as if it had done something to offend her. "Thanks."

We ate in silence for a few minutes before I was finally able to work up the nerve to talk again. "For someone who says they're dangerous to be around, you really don't hang out 'your people' very much."

"Yeah," Tammi grunted. I thought that was all I was going to get until she sighed, shaking her head. "I'm apparently not supposed to warn people off. So ironically, you sitting here is probably going to get me back into their good graces."

I frowned. "That…wasn't what I wanted…"

"At least, it _would_ if I didn't plan on picking another fight over something tomorrow." She was grinning now.

"You are not very good at being in a gang, are you? Do you have a death wish or something?"

Tammi snorted. "I get certain privileges." I glanced over at her, my eyes narrowed. She just shrugged. "My family was well connected. It's carried over. Plus whenever I have to actually _do_ my job, I do it well. I have a particular skill set. So I get to be a little bitch and get away with it, when I'm not on the clock."

"Particular skills huh?" I scowled. "Maybe you were right and I should stay away from you."

"You should, I'm dangerous." There wasn't the hint of humor in her voice as she said that even as her eyes were locked on the tabletop and a frown was etched on her face. The muscles in her hand tensed and she splayed it flat on the tray for an instant, before sighing and shaking her head. "I don't do anything that would offend your delicate sensitivities Miss Do-As-I-Say-Not-As-I-Do. I'm more of a getaway driver. Thankfully, I'm good enough at that shit that I never had to worry about the bullshit initiation stuff. Fucking pyschos. Each. And. Every. One. Of. Them." She was nearly growling as she stabbed a small pudding with each word by the end.

"I hate how this school lets us just talk about this shit during lunch," I muttered, spearing the applesauce. "Winslow is so fucked up."

"Tell me about it."

"You know…" Did I want to hold a hand out? She had just admitted that she got them away from their crime scenes!

And yet…she seemed to genuinely despise it. Kayden had walked away…Kayden still wasn't perfect, but she _had_ walked away. If she could…

"My stepmom, she uh, she used to be in a similar position. But she got out. If you want…If you were interested…If you wanted to…try a different job…I could give you her number." This was stupid. This was so stupid. This was so fucking stupid. She was a _Nazi_!

Kayden had been a Nazi once upon a time too.

When I looked to the left, Tammi was frozen beside me. "Look, I'm just saying. She might be able to help. You don't seem to like this very much."

"Why do you care, Taylor?" she whispered.

"Kayden's been good to me. She's still racist, but…she's trying to be better. She's my stepmom, but…I have to watch her all the same. For more reasons than one. You came up to me out the blue and tried to warn me about my stupid shit. You keep insulting the Empire, and you're a bit of a bitch to basically everyone, but not like, to anyone specific. I've been watching. You haven't done _anything_ that would make me think you were a part of those bastards beyond just _saying_ you work with them. If _Kayden_ can walk away…then I'm sure she could help you do the same."

"If she cared enough…" Tammi said, her voice low and her fist clenched.

"Just, think about it, okay?" I passed her a slip of paper. "That's my number. If you change your mind let me know."

She snatched it from the table nearly the same second it left my grip. Then she looked up, glaring at me. "You need to learn to fight. You let Emma and Sophia and those other track bitches throw you around too much. You're quick, but you're scrawny. You need muscle or you need to learn how to throw down."

I groaned and wiped a hand down my face. "You're not the first to tell me that. I'm trying to start working out, but it's hard to schedule with the guys who offered to help me learn. They're, um, busy a lot."

Tammi nodded once and took out a notebook from her backpack tearing off a corner of one of the pages. She scribbled an address down and handed it to me. "Gym on Ninth and Tennison. One of the guys who goes there gives good tips. He's intimidating, but that's actually good. If you can go against him, you can go against anyone in this place. Ask for Forrest."

"Thanks."

Tammi nodded and stood up. "Taylor, seriously, I'm not as good a person as you think. I appreciate all this, but I'm not worth it."

I frowned as I twisted to look up at her. "If you don't like who you are or what you do, sometimes all you need is someone else to hold out a hand. You don't _have_ to be someone you hate."

She snorted. "That sounds like therapy bullshit."

"That's because it is," I chuckled. "My therapist told me that."

She rolled her eyes and started to turn though not fast enough that I couldn't catch sight of the small smile on her face. It really did change her whole expression. She was pretty when she smiled.

"Tammi? Have we met before? I mean before you talked to me the other day."

Tammi froze again, her head shaking quickly, without even looking over her shoulder. "Definitely not, Taylor. I think I'd remember that. Why do you ask?"

"You just sound really familiar," I said. "I feel like we spoke before…but I can't remember where."

"Must have just passed each other buying food or something."

"Yeah, maybe." I frowned. "Except, I almost never came into the cafeteria before…"

"Then someone you met had a voice similar to mine. I gotta go. Check out the gym. I'll think about calling your stepmom. And Taylor, seriously, stay away from me. I'm not…I'm not good."

"The fact that you can say that and still sound sad about it, means you can still change," I responded. I turned back to the last remnants of my food. "Talk to you later, Tammi."

When I glanced over my shoulder again, she was already leaving the cafeteria, her hair streaming behind her as she nearly ran outside. Maybe I could reach her. Kayden had turned away after all. And Tammi…was nice.

I slammed my head onto the table and groaned. I needed to set up another spar with Aegis and Kid Win. If only so that I could get better friends and stop feeling bad for Empire Eighty Eight members…

Maybe I should just start shouting that I was gay. That should make the ambiguously friendly homophobic racists stay away from me all on their own, right? Then I wouldn't have to worry about sympathizing with the enemy!

Groaning again, I barely moved when the bell rang. Why were all of my ideas so _horrible_!?

* * *

I threw my backpack to the side as I closed the door. Kayden was already looking around the corner of the kitchen wall at me. I just rolled my eyes at her as I walked past to the fridge. "Do you _ever_ work?"

"I was actually working now. An Interior Designer can do her plans just as well on a computer as in the client's apartment. It's actually better to do it digitally first; I can show people ideas and lay everything out. Saves time and money and everyone's happier with the results."

I grabbed a sandwich and shrugged. "Uh huh."

"Tell you what, I'll take you with me on my next walkthrough. Then you can see how the pre-render comes together and how everyone's all smiles."

I smirked and leaned against the counter. "Didn't the last guy call here yelling and screaming?"

"Don't you start throwing examples out at me, Child," she said, shaking her finger in my direction obviously fighting against the grin behind her expression - and losing. "Just because Sailor Bob didn't like the Sailor Theme he paid for and specifically requested - over my objections - does not mean I don't have a stellar track record."

"Sailor Bob? _Really_?"

"If _you_ wanted your whole house apartment to look like the inside of a naval warship, I'd call _you_ Sailor Bob too."

"Wow. That's dedication."

"That's not listening to your designer who is paid to help you avoid foolish decisions that you immediately come to regret." She paused and tapped at her chin. "Now I'm not saying a sailor theme _couldn't_ work, but you have to have a certain personality. Sailor Bob did not." We both laughed and she waved away the memory. "So how was school? I should get the last things we need for the home-schooling thing next week so you won't have to go back anymore."

"Surprisingly decent for once," I said. "Most people have just ignored me since Sophia was taken out of class. Emma's still gone which…sucks.

Kayden frowned. "Why? She was one of the girls who forced this situation, Taylor."

I shrugged, studying the floor. "Yeah, but Sophia was always pushing her. Now that Sophia's gone, maybe Emma will…go back to how she was?"

"Taylor…"

"Anyway, Madison's back. She's trying to get involved with Stephanie's group now. Stephanie was always the neutral ground, I guess Madison is trying to stay under the radar now instead of being on the top of the pile. Every time I even look at her she shies away too. I think she's scared of me."

" _Good_ ," Kayden muttered. Lifting her head, she smiled and said louder, "Teachers are okay?"

"Same as always. Gladly's scared to call on me. I don't know why. There are some teachers that haven't been back in a few days though. It's…unusual for there to be that many subs. Do you think I should be worried?"

Kayden grunted and stood up. She moved to me and laid both hands on my shoulders smiling gently at me. "Taylor, sweetie, I love you, but you can be really dense when you're not running around trying to fight everything that looks at you wrong. I finally got a lawyer. Between him and the PRT, the school is being run over hot coals. I'm _amazed_ that Gladly still has his job. They probably think he's too stupid to be malicious. That was certainly the impression I got in the past two conferences we had with the man."

I blinked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe as I stared up at her. "Y-you got a lawyer? I thought…"

"It was only a matter of time, sweetie. It took a lot longer then I had thought it would, but yes, I have a lawyer."

I didn't even know when I started hugging her. One second I had been leaning on the counter, the next I was crushing her in my arms. I was too tall; her head was pushed against my collar bone.

"It's still going to take awhile, Taylor," Kayden murmured into my shoulder even as she patted my back.

"That's okay," I responded, my voice thick.

"Sweetheart, I need to breathe."

Letting go, I stepped back, wiping a hand down my face to get rid of the wet trails on my cheeks even as I couldn't stop the smile on my face. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Kayden stepped forward and kissed my forehead. "Anything you need, whenever you need it, I'll get it done. Just tell me. I'll fight anyone, anywhere if I have to in order to protect you. I mean that."

"I know." My voice was barely a whisper. She kissed my forehead again and moved to the side reaching for the pantry.

"I'd even fight Eidolon you know."

I groaned, the blush spreading up my face even as I tried to beat it back down. Stupid body. "You'd lose that fight so bad."

"Eh, I'd make him think twice about hurting my family first."

"Kayden, stop."

"Mhmm." She pulled out a box and held it up. "What do you think of Hamburger Helper? If we start now, we can have it ready just in time for when your dad gets home."

"Sure. Hamburger Helper it is."

Kayden hummed a low tune as she got the meat from the fridge and moved to the cutting board. Yeah. Kayden could change. Kayden _was_ changing. I just had to get Tammi to talk to her, and then I could help Tammi too.

If only I could figure out just why that girl was so _familiar_.

"Taylor?"

"Hmm?"

"I _was_ serious you know. About helping with anything you need. Just because I can't have kids of my own, doesn't mean that you're not my daughter."


	10. Dawn 05

**Dawn 05**

"Okay, Hardlight, are you ready?" the technician - scientist?, worker?, researcher? - asked.

I had to fight not to roll my eyes. "This isn't hard for me, so yes, I'm ready."

"Okay, we're all set here."

Nodding, I reached out my mental arm and flexed. Minions popped into existence all around me filling the grey room. I hit my limit and breathed out slowly, giving a thumbs up to the man in the lab coat. "Okay, that's what I can get to. That's what? Fifty-five? Sixty?"

"We count 56, Hardlight. Are you at a hard limit or just exhausted?"

I bit my lip and took stock before shaking my head. "My limit. It's not tiring to summon them, it's more like I hit a wall."

The researcher - Dr. Lydel? - hummed, then nodded. "Interesting. Many projection powers have caps like that, though most are limited to only a few copies instead of dozens; though there are outliers of course. Let's try something. Can you switch to a different type of projection? We'll see if your count goes higher, lower, or stays the same depending on the, well, species I suppose."

"Hmm, I think 'variety' is a better word," I dismissed my seraphs and summoned the lancers instead.

"These aren't much different and we're seeing the same figure. Do you have any that are a significantly different size?"

"Um, most of the templates I've made are about the same general size…Oh! I have a dog." I let the lancers pop and pulled out the dogs, filling the room with them instead.

The researcher nodded, and checked his tablet. "72. A fairly significant difference. How about anything larger than the seraph variety?"

I shook my head. "Nothing premade. If you give me a minute I can come up with something though."

"Oh excellent, we had wanted to see the creation process as well so this should kill two birds with one stone!" He nearly ran over to me as the dogs vanished. "Are there any prerequisites for a new alteration?"

I pulled up a seraph and stared at it as I made a circuit of the little guy. "No, just whatever I'm imagining really. Hmm, maybe a knight this time? Or should I go for a floating disc? Some of you can fly now, but could the disc fly? Maybe if I started with a throne instead…"

Waving my hand, the seraph vanished and I pulled out a throne. Yup, the eye'd wheel was still creepy.

Dr. Lydel stopped and stared at the throne. "You created that?"

"Yeah. I was aiming for historical accuracy. Hit it. Realized historical accuracy is _way_ overrated. Resolved never to use them except to freak people out. But they can hover and move on their own; I don't really know why, but it works. If I use them as the initial base and then flatten them out and…" My voice trailed off as I stepped over to the throne and squeezed the outer edge of it between my hands. It started to flatten, the floating hollow circle beginning to fill in. I turned the minion in my hands, even as I kept squeezing. Within another minute the entire 'wheel' was filled in and it was more of a 'floating circle' now. Moving to the edges, I started wiping my hands along the sides and the eyes vanished as I passed.

By the time I was done, I had a hovering white circle that was about 6 feet across. Nodding, I clapped my hands together. "Platform."

"Fascinating," Dr. Lydel murmured. "Do all of your alterations start with a base?"

"Not necessarily. I can build a new one from scratch, but it takes a _long_ time doing it that way. It's _much_ faster to just alter an existing one and rename the new template so that I can save the new one."

"And you have to name the templates to be able to resummon them?"

"I think so? It might be a mnemonic thing, I'm not really sure. I know it's hard to remember any templates I worked on that I haven't named."

"Well, we can revisit that later. Would you mind trying to fill the room to your limit with these platforms, Hardlight?"

"Sure." I gestured again, and more platforms popped up around us. "Alright, that's all I can get."

He consulted his tablet again and nodded. "Just as I thought. We're down to 35 now. I believe you're limited by a certain measure of 'volume' for lack of a better word. Smaller projections will allow you more leeway before reaching that limit, larger projections hit the limit faster. Let's test the Brute strength of the different sizes next shall we?"

"I'm pretty sure they're all just as strong, but okay."

After a few more tests, I found they were actually _not_ all the same in stopping power. Apparently the larger versions could take an appropriately larger amount of punishment before bursting while the smaller ones would burst almost immediately. In contrast, the smaller minions were ready to be redeployed much faster than their big brothers. An interesting trade-off really, but I guess it made an odd kind of sense.

None of my current minions were able to fire any blaster abilities. I was a little sad to see that considering I lived with _Purity_ , but I was still plenty versatile and most of them were fast enough that I could just swarm people from a distance anyway.

"Any idea why you can't summon more than one variety at once, Hardlight? Perhaps a mental hangup?"

I shook my head at Dr. Lyder's question. "I don't think so. It's not that it's painful to do it, or that I'm scared, I just _can't_. If I try to reach for a second version while one is already out, I get like, an error message in my brain."

He nodded. "That does track with several masters I've encountered in the past. Alright, well I believe we've spent long enough on this track. Shall we move on to the most intriguing aspect?"

"What's that?"

He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head as he waved to the room's door. Aegis walked in, an easy smile on his face.

"Hi, Hardlight. Purity mentioned that your critters can heal?"

"Oh!" I blinked, swallowing hard as I felt a blush spread on my cheeks. "Yeah, I uh, I guess that would be…important. It's minor though, I didn't really think it would be…Not many people have healing powers at all though so I guess I really should have thought it would be a big deal."

"Well that's what I'm here to help with! My power helps me to heal fast, and it also stops me from feeling pain…mostly." The last was under his breath and I was fairly sure he didn't intend for me to hear it. "So I'm a control group for parahuman healing. Once we see if you can affect me, then we'll move onto volunteers among the non-cape populace."

I frowned. "I'm not comfortable with someone cutting themselves just so they can see if I can heal them…"

"It's volunteers and they're already hurt, Hardlight," Dr. Lyder quickly stated. "We also have Panacea on site to check your work and make certain that there are no nasty side-effects."

"Oh. Uh, I guess that's…okay then."

The loudspeaker in the room crackled and Kayden's voice came through a moment later, "Honey, you don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable with it."

"No, no, I'm fine. We need to know. I could help out a lot more if I can actually heal people besides myself." I scratched at my arm, trying to hide my wince.

Aegis apparently noticed anyway as his eyes dropped to my hand before I hurriedly let it fall to my side. "Like Purity said, we don't have to test this today."

"No, we should. I just - don't expect much, okay? My minions heal me, but they don't…they don't work entirely."

Dr. Lydel turned to his tablet and flicked his finger along it a few times. "Can you elaborate on that, Miss?"

"Hardlight, you don't have to answer that," Kayden said over the speaker again. "Hang on, I'm coming down."

"They don't heal my scars," I murmured.

Dr. Lydel looked up, his mouth quirked to the side, giving me a small nod before turning back to his tablet. "Trigger scars possibly. We've seen it before. Also possible that there is a hard limit on the regeneration that can be imparted. I'm inclined towards the former, it's more common. It could also be mental trauma. You consider the scars part of yourself, so the healing will never take for that aspect of your body. It really depends on the method of healing. Shall we try a few things? See if we can't narrow it down?"

The door to the room opened and Kayden walked in with Armsmaster behind her. Most of her Purity costume was in place, though she wasn't glowing like usual; she had a mask on instead. I gave her a small wave as she stepped to my side. "Hi."

"Hey. Sorry it took so long. There was quite a bit I had to discuss."

"It's fine. Want to watch me heal Aegis?"

"Only if you're up for it."

"It would be helpful to get a baseline," Armsmaster said. "Aegis' healing rate has been well documented. The nature of his adaptations are fluid, but his regeneration is not. This will serve as a good estimation of your own ability."

"Okay." I pulled out a warden, which was basically just a cherub with a floating halo and let it stand beside me at attention. "Ready when you are."

Dr. Lydel glanced up from his clipboard and nodded once. "Do you know if the rate increases with more?"

"Uhhh…"

"No worries, that's what the testing is for! Aegis if you would be so kind?"

"Wait," Purity said, stepping forward with a small frown. "Shouldn't Panacea be here as well? I would hate for the boy to hurt himself on purpose twice."

"Well I'll be doing it at least twice anyway, but thanks." Aegis shook his head. "Panacea is not going to join us just yet."

"Why? This seems exactly like the sort of thing that - "

"Purity!" I hissed. She cut off and glanced towards me. "Remember where you _come from_? And what happened to her _aunt_?"

Purity's expression collapsed and her posture visibly wilted. "Ah. Maybe I should go."

"Panacea is perfectly able to maintain a professional working relationship with an affiliated entity," Armsmaster said. "Shall we continue?"

Purity looked at me, I shook my head. She needed to get used to working with heroes and they needed to get used to working with her. Maybe if she was forced to meet people the Empire had hurt in the past it would help to keep pushing her away from bad habits in the future. It probably didn't work that way, but…Well if her presence was really going to be a problem then one of the other three people in this room would have said something.

Aegis precluded any further comments on the matter by taking the small scalpel offered by the researcher and slashing across the back of his arm. He held the limb in front of him and eyed my minion. "So, does that guy have to grab me or is he already working?"

"He has to touch you. Close to the wound too. Can you bend down? You're a bit tall for him and it seems rude to have him climb all over you."

Aegis chuckled and knelt as my warden ran forward wrapping its hands around his arm right above the cut. "You want to watch it heal right?" I asked. The doctor nodded and knelt as well while Armsmaster just centered his visor on Aegis.

"It'll probably be a minute or two. It doesn't look like the cut is deep, but their healing isn't exactly fast. I've mostly just used it to cover up some bruising that I got while trying out my powers and - " I snapped my mouth shut as a memory surged forward of the disastrous day I had tried to go to school before Sophia's little clique had fallen apart.

"And?" Armsmaster asked, his focus not shifted from Aegis.

"Um, other…things," I finished, trailing off.

Purity made a noise I had trouble recognizing, before she stepped forward and hugged me. I let her hold me for a minute before squirming away. "You should have said something."

"I did. You took me out of school the day after," I mumbled.

"Fascinating," Dr. Lydel murmured. Turning back to the others, I saw that Aegis' arm wound had almost closed. "Three minutes. That's fairly impressive even if it just turns out to be an increased regenerative rate."

I frowned as I knelt down. "That's fast. Why did it heal you faster? My bruises took a lot longer to heal."

"Probably has something to do with my own regeneration," Aegis said, shaking out his arm as the last trace of his cut was wiped away. "So, Doc, I'm guessing you want me to cut my arm again and have her try with two this time?"

Dr. Lydel chuckled. "Ah, sometimes I think we do this with you too much."

"Yeah well, let's just say that, on some level, I'm actually a bit relieved there's not more healers triggering in this city. Hardlight, ready when you are."

I manifested another warden and nodded to him. He cut his arm again and this time I had both latch onto him. No one tried to make small talk this time however as we watched his wound heal.

"Hmm, still the same time frame. So it does appear that it is restricted to one rate per target. It's a shame we don't have two regenerators on hand. Being able to test if the rate drops for multiple targets at once would be beneficial."

"I can cut my own arm," I volunteered, trying not to grimace. Just because it would heal didn't mean it wouldn't hurt.

"No." Armsmaster and Dr. Lydel both replied nearly immediately. I let out a soft sigh of relief. Thank god.

"Contrary to some opinions, we take every effort to avoid hurting people here or pushing them into situations they would find uncomfortable. Testing the limits of powers are important, but not to the degree that it would cause distress or discomfort." Dr. Lydel stood and brushed off his pants legs. "Now, I'm satisfied with this portion of the test. Armsmaster, I believe it's time to bring in the non-capes. Let's start with the simple abrasions and work our way up to actual diseases. We'll save Mrs. Johnson for last."

The hero nodded and pressed a button on his gauntlet. A moment later the door to the room opened letting in a few people as well as Panacea.

I turned to the Doctor in an effort to avoid staring at the girl. "Who's Mrs. Johnson?"

"She was involved in a car accident a few weeks back. She has brain trauma that has shown no real improvement. As Panacea can't work on the mind, we've been hoping that someone else might be able to; should they have a healing ability."

"Oh." So no pressure. Perfect.

Panacea stopped next to Aegis, not even looking at me as she laid a hand on him. She nodded after a second and stepped away. "He's clean. No side-effects and nothing visibly wrong. Are we going to do this or what?"

Well considering you _just_ got here. I had to school myself to avoid scowling. I had just gotten done saying that Panacea had a reason to be pissed off, but still, that seemed excessive.

Dr. Lydel and Armsmaster brought forward the first man who introduced himself as Kevin Pruder. I smiled back at him and made sure he was okay with what we were doing and a few seconds later we were off. Panacea had her hand on his free arm as my minion was clamped around his scraped knee. She frowned as we watched his small wounds scab over and drop away, leaving healthy new skin behind.

"That's regeneration, but you're not increasing the body's response. You're altering their physiology to force the damaged part back to health. And it's not using mass from the body. Where the hell are you pulling that mass from?" She glared at me and I nearly took a step back from the intensity of her gaze.

"I have no idea. I don't even know what I'm doing when I heal someone. I'm not speeding things up?"

"You are, but you're just tricking the body by making it think it's fixing itself when you're doing it yourself, mimicking what the body _would_ be doing."

I frowned, thinking that over. "So why's it slow then? If I'm doing the legwork and if I'm pulling the mass out of hammerspace then why isn't it a fast reaction?"

"How the hell should I know, it's _your_ power."

"Panacea," Aegis sighed, "there's no need to get angry. She's here so that we can all try to understand exactly what her power does and how it works."

"No need to get angry?" Panacea sneered. She let Mr. Pruder's arm drop as she glared at Purity, a scowl etched on her face. "She's standing there with _Purity_ , the _murderer_. As soon as we're done here she's going to go running off to all of her little Empire friends and then they'll have _two_ healers on hand instead of just _one_. We have enough problems with just that bitch. We're gift-wrapping another one for them! The only reason I'm here is to make sure that she doesn't hurt any of these people in the meantime."

My eyes narrowed and my nostrils flared. "Lay off, I'm not going to be joining the Empire."

"Oh like I haven't heard that one before."

"Panacea." Armsmaster growled. He had just walked back over from showing Mr. Pruder out and he seemed to be glaring at the healer.

"Do you know how many gangbangers I heal on a daily basis? Too many!"

"I knew I should have left," Purity murmured.

"I'm not joining the fucking Empire!"

"You're associating with - "

"Panacea that is _enough_ ," Armsmaster stated. He stepped between me and the teen. "We have already had multiple difficulties with relations surrounding Hardlight solely because of her familial ties. Hardlight herself has had exactly _one_ incident of ill repute which is _far less_ than any in New Wave have had _individually_ , including yourself. If you cannot restrain yourself, then _leave_."

"Holy shit," Aegis muttered.

Panacea just scowled. She took a single step back and crossed her arms, still glaring at me and Purity over his shoulder. At least she kept her mouth shut.

Armsmaster nodded once and turned to Dr. Lydel. "Are we clear to proceed with further tests?"

"Oh. Uh, yes, certainly. Ms. Newton, please come forward."

The rest of the healing proceeded fairly uneventfully, though I had managed to craft a taller version of the warden which I was tentatively referring to as a 'custodian'. The difference in size hadn't changed the pace of the healing imparted at all, which didn't really surprise me. Panacea continued to glare at me and the rate stayed steady for each person. By the time we got near the end, Dr. Lydel was confident enough with his data that he had me splitting my minions between people to no noticeable difference in rate of regeneration either way. When we got to the people with liver disease I was extremely surprised to find that I was actually able to fix that. I resolved to have Kayden make an appointment with some of the local clinics with cancer patients. If I could save some of those people with a few trips, anything that I did as a hero would just be icing on the cake. That would make getting powers all worth it.

Finally we were just down to Mrs. Johnson. She was wheeled into the room by a nurse, and I had to force my hands to unclench as I looked at her. "No pressure, no pressure," I muttered to myself.

Purity laid a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "This is just a Hail Mary, Hardlight. No one is expecting a miracle."

Panacea centered her gaze on Purity and me, scoffing as she laid a hand on Mrs. Johnson. "Well? Let's get on with it. I want to go home."

Aegis grumbled under his breath. My warden popped into existence just to the side of Panacea. She snapped her head to the right, gasping. I tried not to snort as the warden took two steps forward and climbed into Mrs. Johnson's lap, reaching up with its stubby arms to latch onto her head. Then it leaned forward, resting its own forehead against hers.

Aegis sidled up next to me, murmuring, "Petty."

"Yup," I whispered back.

"Kinda amusing though."

"Yup."

"Anything?"

"No idea. I get some feedback from them, but not anything that would translate to whether this was working or not." He sighed and together we watched the woman.

A minute later, Panacea frowned. Her gaze lifted from Mrs. Johnson to center on me, her eyes narrowed enough that I could barely even tell if they were open. "You're…rebuilding her brain."

"I _am_?!"

Armsmaster and Dr. Lydel aimed more instruments at Mrs. Johnson while Purity just squeezed my shoulder again. Panacea didn't shift her gaze. "How do you know you're fixing it _correctly_?"

"How many times do I have to say that _I don't know_? I didn't even know it was _working_ until you said it! Is she going to be okay?!"

Panacea was silent for almost ten seconds, her eyes never moving. Finally she lifted one arm in a small shrug. "Keep the projection on her for at least another ten minutes. Whether or not she'll be the same person she was - we'll find out then."

I nodded and we all stood in silence once more. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the minion stepped back, clasped its hands, approximated a small bow to Mrs. Johnson and popped, leaving its glittery, quickly fading, residue in her lap. The woman herself shook herself, a small chuckle leaving her mouth as she stared at where my warden had been. She cracked her neck and lifted her head.

"Ma'am?" Armsmaster asked. "Do you remember your name? Do you remember where you are or why?"

"I'd imagine I'm in the PRT building since I work here. I assume there was an accident and that I required healing? That car came out of nowhere. Panacea?"

Dr. Lydel stepped forward, a huge grin on his face as he laid a hand on her arm. "It's good to have you back, Martha. Yes, there was an accident. There was some brain damage. It's been almost three months."

Mrs. Johnson frowned, Panacea's hand still locked on her bare skin. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room. "Brain damage? But then why would Panacea be…Oh. This is the _testing_ chamber." Her eyes locked on me as I stood frozen. "And would this young lady be the person who we're testing? Another healer? Who can do what Panacea can't?"

"She appears to have healed you, yes," Armsmaster said.

"Someone help me up! I want to shake this girl's hand and thank her for saving my life."

You couldn't have moved me if a hurricane came through the room at that moment. I just stared at Mrs. Johnson. Panacea seemed torn between glaring at me and gazing - almost longingly - at the woman. Dr. Lydel eventually helped her to her feet and they walked the five feet to me. I must have said something, because the next thing I knew, Mrs. Johnson was gone and it was just me and the other heroes in the room.

"Hand."

"Wha-?" I mumbled. Shaking my head I tried to pull the world back into focus. Panacea was in front of me, her eyes narrowed to slits again.

"I said, 'give me your hand'. Pull up one of your projections and heal yourself. I heard that your scars don't heal. I want to see why. You can fix brains. You should be able to fix _scars_."

"I - I don't - Okay." A warden grabbed my arm just below the elbow, while another two lowered themselves to hold my calves. They held on for only ten seconds before Panacea dropped my hand, scowling.

"Nothing. You're not doing anything."

"But…that doesn't… _why_?"

"Dr. Lydel said it earlier," Purity stated, her voice low. "Psychosomatic. It's trigger related. You won't be able to heal them. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Panacea stepped back, her expression unreadable. "I'm not healing you. If your power can fix brains, great. I still don't believe you aren't Empire affiliated and I'm not going to help you just because you're being _friendly_."

"Then kindly leave and stop insulting my daughter," Purity said, stepping between us. "Your problem is with me, leave her alone."

"Yeah fine, whatever. Go back to your _friends_." She twisted on her heels and started to storm away.

I shook my head as I watched her stalk off. Pride and anger warring in my chest. I had just _healed_ Mrs. Johnson! And Panacea was still going to dangle my stepmother's associates in front of us while ignoring everything else? She was just going to _walk away_?

"I _said_ I'm _not_ joining the Empire!" I shouted. Panacea flipped me the bird without even looking over her shoulder. She was at the door. I scowled, my fists clenched. "They tend to have a _problem_ with _lesbians_!" Panacea halted mid-step. Then the door slammed closed between us. "Bitch."

Aegis groaned and slapped a hand to his face.

Worth it.


	11. Interlude B

**Interlude B**

Tammi stared at the phone in her fingers, her eyelids twitching and her free hand clenching every few seconds.

"This is stupid. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_."

"Tammi? Are you in here? Kaiser called, he was curious if you had any information about that girl at your school. He said her name was Taylor Hebert," Melissa called, poking her head around Tammi's door. "Why do I know that name? It sounds so familiar…"

Tammi lifted her head and met her cousin's gaze. Lying to Melissa had nearly become second nature by this point. "She's the locker girl. I definitely mentioned her after we got back from break." Nothing else to see here, nope, nothing at all.

"Ah, that's it!" Melissa snapped her fingers. "He must think she triggered from that. Hmm, I wonder why he's taken this long to ask you to pursue it…Wasn't it that nigger who pushed her in? We should be able to sell her on joining up pretty easily."

"She's a nobody. With the shit that the people in school heaped on her, if she had powers, half of us would have been dead before the end of the day." Had she always been good at lying? When had that skill developed? When had that skill become important?

Melissa sighed and tossed one hand into the air. "Ah well, so much for that I guess. I'll let Kaiser know it's a dead end. Just keep your ears open in case anything pops up, okay?"

"Sure. Hey, I'm going for a walk."

Melissa frowned, turning back to look at her as Tammi stood from her bed, grabbing her coat from the chair. "It's 8am on a _Saturday_. Where the hell are you going?"

"Well breakfast for one. And then I want to get some shopping done."

Melissa crossed her arms, leaning in the doorway. "Vic was going to make omelets."

Tammi didn't bother to hide her scowl this time as she glared at her cousin. "How many times do I have to tell you: I _hate_ eating anything he makes."

"But they are - "

"He's destroyed _lives_ because he wanted to cook a nice fucking meal, Mel!" Tammi snarled. "Your fucking husband destroyed three different restaurants and two Master Chefs because he thought he was using too much salt and wanted to know how to make it 'correctly'. It's _disgusting_."

Melissa's nostrils flared as she glared at Tammi. "We wouldn't have a roof over our heads if he had been cautious about how he used his power."

"Bull. Shit." Tammi pushed past her cousin, forcing her arms into her coat as she stalked down the hallway. "I know just as well as you that Kaiser would've set us up fine."

"Vic pulls more than his fair share in multiple areas, as do I. I'm sorry that we can't _all_ be useful, Tammi."

She stopped and spun around, her lip curled in a silent snarl. "Excuse me for not wanting to _squash_ people like a goddamn _bug_."

"How many brutes do we have in this city?" Melissa snapped. "You don't have to hold back so much! You're more than just a glorified flying bus!"

"Oh fuck you! You'd turn me into a murderer by _accident_. If I'm going to kill someone it's going to be _on purpose_ , Mel!"

"That is not - "

"Did you even see what happened with Armsmaster and Hardlight? He nearly killed her thinking she was Purity. And he's a _tinker_! He has how much bullshit in his helmet now? And you want me to just go throwing giant chunks of shit at people? Fuck you. "

"Hardlight?" Melissa asked, frowning. "Who the hell is Hardlight? Wait, is that the girl that nearly got you and James killed?"

Tammi rolled her eyes and turned, heading for the door. "She's an impulsive idiot with Purity as a mentor. We both know how 'great' Kayden is at mentoring - and overreacting."

"Wait, if she's with Purity maybe we can…"

"Yeah, not gonna happen, Mel. The girl was very clear that she wasn't interested in the Empire. You want to know more, talk to James; I'm getting my damn breakfast." The door slammed shut behind her and Tammi took a steadying breath as she leaned against the wood. Fuck. She never should have brought up Hardlight to Melissa. Melissa was pretty important in the Clan, but that didn't always translate well to the Empire. She was looking for more ways to get in good with Kaiser and Hookwolf; recruiting Hardlight would've been a major plus for her.

"Why the _hell_ do I care?" Tammi muttered. Pushing off the door, she shook her head, let her scowl leak back onto her face and headed down the street. She only made it to the end of the block before she was again staring at the phone in her hand.

"So. Fucking. _Stupid_." The phone was against her ear and the line was ringing almost before she had registered that she had tapped out the number. "Stupid. Stupid. _Stupid_."

The connection beep sounded, though the other end was quiet for another few seconds. "…Hel-hello?"

"Hey." Yeah, that was a _great_ way to start the conversation. Because this wasn't going to be awkward enough as it was.

"Um, hi. Who is this? And how do you have my number? I've only given it to like…four people? Maybe?"

"Jesus Christ, Taylor, what's the point of having a phone if you're not going to use it?"

"You don't need to get rude. My family doesn't like cellphones; I have it for emergencies. Now who are you?"

Tammi slapped a hand to her face and groaned. "Taylor. Seriously. You ate lunch with me. Last high school experience or some such bullshit like that."

" _Tammi_?!" Taylor's gasp was almost amusing enough to elicit a chuckle. That would have been mean. "Wow, you sound _different_ on the phone! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get snippy."

"It's cool, it's already been one of those mornings. I could've been nicer too. Sorry about calling so early."

"I don't mind. I was just about to go on a run anyway." Taylor paused, the hesitance in her tone evident as she started talking again. "Um, if you're near the docks, we could…meet up?"

Damn. Her stomach flipped and she had to bite back the urge to accept. Taylor was far too nice for a girl that had set Empire goons on a black bitch. Tammi was not going to be the reason that Taylor got dragged into the bullshit. Her crap was her own and her mess was her own. She wasn't going to skip alongside Taylor on the path to Hell just because she wanted a friend. "Maybe another time, Taylor."

"Oh. Okay."

Fuck. There should be a law against including that much emotion in two words. A fucking _law_.

"I was actually wondering if your stepmom was available? You had said that if I wanted advice on…things, that maybe she could help." Yeah, sure, help from _Kayden_. The bitch who flew off without a word to the wise. The woman who had turned her back on her family. The woman who had nearly killed Tammi just a few days ago.

But Kayden had gotten out. Kayden had gotten out just like Tammi's parents. Tammi was the only idiot that still couldn't figure her way out of a paper bag.

"Oh! Yeah, sure, my dad just left for work and I think Kayden is finishing her eggs. Give me a second." And Taylor was back to peppy. Fuck. The brunette probably thought that she wanted to be friends.

Tammi ruthlessly punted the ball in her stomach into the next zipcode. She did _not_ want to drag that girl into _anything_. She would talk to Kayden. She would get some advice. And she would never have to call again. Taylor would be safe from her and she would never have to lie to Kaiser about not knowing who Kayden's stepdaughter was or who Hardlight was or…

She shivered as her stomach flipped again. Not talking to Taylor again was the right thing to do. It was the. Right. Thing. To. Do.

And for once in her shitty life, she was going to do the right thing.

* * *

Crystal flopped onto the couch, her head turned to stare at her cousin, her mouth hanging partly open. "I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

"What's so hard to understand? I just told her where she could shove it. I was _polite_ about it, but I made it clear I didn't trust her at all."

Amy's arms were crossed and the scowl on her face was something for the record books. Crystal could only blink slowly in reply. "You thought it was a good idea to mouth off to the newest healer in town? The healer who is _strong_? The same girl who apparently went into the cancer pediatrics ward this morning and gave all the kids glowing puppies that miraculously healed them in like 45 minutes? That girl?"

"She's slow as hell," Amy snapped. "I can heal three to five people in the time it takes her to heal a broken bone."

Eric snorted. "Cous', you said this Hardlight chick can make dozens of her projections. Each projection heals the same. You heal five people. She heals _fifty_. I think she's got you beat with volume."

"She doesn't even know what she's doing!"

"And that matters hooow exactly?" Crystal asked. "Amy, come on, powers are bullshit. That's like, Rule One."

Amy just scowled. "I have a medical doctorate. I know _exactly_ what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. She's just pulling matter from thin air and shoving it into the body! You can't do that! There's going to be consequences eventually!"

"Amy," Eric stated, very, very slowly. "Your medical degree. It is due to _your power_. Say it with me now. It's 'because of your power.'"

"Fuck you."

"Hey, no one gets to yell at the twerp except me. Eric, be nice. Amy, he has a point."

"I work my ass off! I spend _hours_ in the hospitals. I go there when I can't sleep," Amy snarled. "All that little prissy bitch has to do is sit down at the nurses station and read a damn book!"

Eric snorted. "Wow, I knew you could be a bitch, but this is a new low, Ames. Careful, your jealous streak is showing."

"I'm not _jealous_. She's - "

"You are definitely the one coming off as a bitch here," Crystal said.

Amy twisted to glare at her, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. "She's _Purity's daughter_. She's a _Nazi_."

Crystal sighed and stared at the ceiling. She had stopped doing her Lit homework for this? "Amy, we can't judge people based on their families. Our family isn't exactly the most tight knit group anymore either. Remember, she attacked Rune and Krieg the other day. And then Purity tried to shoot them both in the face with a Fuck Off beam. Pretty sure the girl is _not_ a Nazi."

"Hey, Cous', what's really got you so worked up? You don't get this pissy for no reason." Eric was usually a jerk, but he had his moments. At least he had the patience to deal with Amy. Somewhat.

Amy got up and started pacing, her hands clenched. She dropped her fist onto the edge of her chair, laying her head down on her arm, murmuring, "She _has_ to have sympathies with the Empire…Family is family…She has to follow in Purity's footsteps. And no one could enjoy just…doing that…"

That didn't sound right. "What was that, Amy?" Crystal sat up, her eyes narrowing. "No one could enjoy doing what? _Healing_?"

"She can't like healing. There's nothing to like about healing. There's nothing to like about powers. Being gay shouldn't matter," Amy continued muttering. "She has to follow their philosophy. She has to. Blood is blood. Parents are parents. She hates herself. That's why her scars don't heal. She hates herself and she hates her power and Purity is guiding her to suppress her sexuality so that the Empire won't find out and she's going to self-destruct and she's going to…"

Eric caught Crystal's eye. He pointed to Amy and held up his hands, no trace of a smile anywhere on his face. Crystal slowly shook her head, mouthing back to him, 'Get Dad'. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to their mom.

_SOS. Something is wrong with Amy. Our house._

"Amy," Crystal said softly. She stood and laid a hand on her cousin's back; Amy didn't even seem to notice. "Amy, how old is Hardlight?"

"She has to. She _has_ to…"

"Amy," Crystal repeated. She glanced down at her phone and tapped out another quick message.

_Hurry._

"Amy, look at me."

"Huh?" Amy's head snapped up and her eyes focused, a scowl crossing her face once again. "What?"

"How old do you think Hardlight is?"

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"How old?"

"I don't know. My age? What the hell does - "

"So if she's fifteen, maybe sixteen, do you really think she could be Purity's _actual_ daughter?"

Amy flinched, trying to pull back, but Crystal wouldn't let her go. Eric was completely still as he watched them. "It doesn't matter. Family is family. She's just like her. It makes sense."

"That's not how people _work_ , Amy. And besides, what if she was adopted?" Crystal tried to ignore the shudder that ran through Amy's body at that. What buttons was she hitting? She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be the one talking about this. Where was Mom? "What if it happened recently? What if she - "

"It _doesn't matter_!" Amy snapped. She pulled back from Crystal, her eyes narrowed to slits and her breath coming in short pants. "She can't be the daughter or adopted daughter or step-daughter of a _villain_ and be _good_! She _can't_! Children of villains are _bad_! They're _evil_! They have to fight every day to _pretend to be good_!"

"Oh, Amelia." Crystal nearly went limp as her mother's voice sounded from the hallway entrance. Looking to the left, Crystal saw her mom there, clothes ruffled from the wind and her hair in disarray. It was the most welcome thing she had seen all day. "Honey, how long have you known?"

"She _can't_ be good because then that means - that means - " Amy choked out, her fists clenching in her hair.

"Amy," her mom said, walking forward and pulling Amy into a hug. "You're _not_ evil."

" _I am_! I _know_ I am! Mom doesn't say it, but she knows I am too! Hardlight _can't_ be good. Children of villains _aren't good_. We're…we're _monsters_ …"

Her mom looked at her and cocked her head towards the hall. Crystal gave her a small thumbs up and a sad, weak, little smile before grabbing Eric's arm and pulling him out. She dragged her brother all of the way up to her room, closing the door and leaning on it, letting her head drop.

"What. The. Fuck, just happened?" Eric asked.

Crystal shook her head. "I think…I think Mom is going to be having a very long talk with Aunt Carol. And I don't think that Amy is going to be healing for a while…"

"What the hell…"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Hey, Clock! I've been looking for you buddy," Assault said, a smile on his face as he turned the corner near the Wards' rooms. Clockblocker was just getting into the office. He had timed this perfectly.

Clockblocker turned when he heard his name and lifted a hand in a wave. "Hey, Assault. What's up? I have patrol in an hour, I was hoping to get a bit of work done first soo…"

"No worries, no worries, kid, I'll have you back in plenty of time! Just got a quick thing I need to talk to you about first."

Clockblocker shrugged and walked his way. "Okay, sure."

Assault smiled and waved him forward. "That's a good lad!" They were in the nearby conference room before he said anything further. Gesturing to one of the chairs, he waited for Clockblocker to sit before taking off his helmet and setting it on the table. "So, Dennis, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. No offense Ethan, but I don't swing that way. And it would be creepy." He smirked as he took off his own helmet, leaning back in the chair.

Ethan groaned, shaking his head. "Kid, there are some things you don't joke about. That's one of them."

"Yeah, okay, that was probably in bad taste. So what's up?"

"Well I actually have a powerpoint first!" He perked up and grabbed the remote. "I've been _improving_ my speechifying capability."

"Battery is a bad influence on you. Where's the fun slacker at?"

"He got laid," Ethan murmured, barely loud enough to hear. Shaking his head, he forced his smile wider and punched the button. "So, Exhibit A, puppies."

Dennis frowned. He stopped rocking the chair back and leaned forward staring at the screen. "Those things look familiar. That's a very uniform white. Projections?"

"Got it in one! Exhibit B, the littlest cancer patient. That's a trope too you know." Assault clicked the button again and the screen flipped to the image of a preteen cuddling one of the glowing dog projections.

Dennis' gaze flipped to Ethan for a moment before turning back to the screen. "There's not many masters in the city who have projections…"

"Exhibit C, the littlest no-longer-cancer-ridden patients. I particularly like this one. It makes for an excellent photo op." The photograph now showed about forty kids in the shot, ranging in age from 5 to 16. All of them had a glowing dog in hand and a big grin on their faces. Front and center in the middle of all of them, with her white cape, off-white pants, and cream colored blouse, was Hardlight. She had a huge grin and her own glowing puppy. There was also a noticeable blush covering what was visible of her face. Behind the group, against the wall, a dog lounging on her head, was Purity.

Dennis just stared.

Ethan sighed and dropped into a chair. "Dennis, I know you mean well. I know you hate the Empire, we all do, but you can't go off on a new trigger just because of who she happens to be working with. Brockton Bay isn't exactly safe, having the second strongest blaster on the East Coast for backup is a good plan."

"She _healed_ all those kids?"

"She did. She's not as fast as Panacea, but she can get a lot more people at once as trade-off."

Dennis' eyes narrowed and he glanced from Purity at the edge of the photo over to Ethan. "Are we sure this isn't just a PR stunt?"

"Oh it is _definitely_ a PR stunt. But that doesn't change the fact that what she did was beautiful."

"How sure are we that she isn't just trying to put Purity in a good light? The woman killed dozens of people!"

"Collateral damage," Ethan said. "Purity was labeled as a villain yes, but she was never actually held accountable for those deaths. People on our side have done similar things in the past."

Dennis' head snapped to Ethan and his lips curled. "What the hell is that bullshit?"

"Do you really think that Legend or Eidolon are able to control their blasts well enough to avoid _all_ collateral damage, kid? Even just in this city, I can immediately tell you of four people who have died during cape fights that were directly caused by Protectorate individuals. There's always an investigation and PR hushes it up, but it happens. This isn't a _clean_ business."

"Bullshit."

"Martin Crackshaw." Ethan felt his pulse pick up even as he said the name. "I hit a car, tried to use it to knock Hookwolf away from a diner. I never even saw the guy hiding under the car. Claudia Wolf. She died when I threw a bomb towards the beach, thinking it would be clear. It wasn't."

"But, those are…"

"A good prosecutor could argue for manslaughter. The same thing could be said with Purity, except with her she would also be able to get a good defense lawyer who could give decent counter arguments to muddy the waters further."

Dennis started to speak, but Ethan held up a hand, shaking his head. "We don't - and more we _can't_ \- prosecute people for unintentional deaths. If we start doing that with villains or independents, then it opens the floodgates to the rest of us. No hero would ever be able to go out again without fear of being thrown away for trying to help someone and inadvertently hurting someone else. Worse, it would escalate matters, because now no villain would hold back since they would know it wouldn't _matter_ if they held back. Politics and PR is a delicate balance."

"But Purity - "

"Is not Hookwolf. She's not Heartbreaker, or Jack Slash, or even Nilbog. She's never hurt anyone intentionally. She's not a _good_ person, but she's not a _monstrous_ one either. This world is more than just black and white, kid. There's a lot of grey to go around."

"Oh come on," Dennis scoffed. He waved a hand at the screen. "Look I'll admit, maybe I was a jerk to Hardlight. Maybe she's not bad and just has bad taste in mentors. You can't convince me that _Purity_ is actually decent too though!"

Ethan sighed. "Do you know who Purity _is_ like, Dennis?" At Dennis' small head shake Ethan continued, "She's like me."

Dennis reared back. "What?"

"I used to be known as Madcap. I - "

"Broke people out of Birdcage transports…" Dennis whispered, his mouth falling open as he stared.

"Yes. A lot of times, it was because I didn't agree with the system. I thought 'these people aren't that bad, they're getting screwed over, they're going to hell on Earth because some judge didn't like them, they couldn't even defend themselves'. Sometimes it was for money. But all the same, I was a villain for a long time. I have no idea how many people have been hurt or killed because of my choices to help the Cage Bound." He shook his head and looked down at his hand. "But I have a real hard time not thinking about it every day. I turned myself around thanks to Battery and the offer of a second chance. Purity is trying to do the same."

Dennis was quiet. He looked back at the screen and Ethan joined him in the study of the photo. Purity looked exceedingly awkward, almost trying to slide out of the shot even as it was taken, the dog on her head was the only one that seemed to be actively forcing its bearer to hold it. She was smiling, but her eyes were haunted even so.

"Even if she's only trying because of the girl, she deserves a chance to make herself better. We all make mistakes. We all can fall in with the wrong crowd. She broke away. Not many people do that when it comes to the Empire. She deserves a chance."

"…What if she goes back? What if Hardlight isn't the decent person she's trying to show herself as?" Dennis asked, his eyes still focused on the dogs and the kids and the blushing, awkward girl in the middle.

"Then the second chance goes away, and we react appropriately. Same with the kid."

Dennis slowly nodded. "She's really not with the Empire…she wouldn't have hurt them to protect Hardlight if she was still with them…"

Ethan nodded and rested a hand on the teen's shoulder. "One thing you learn fast when working in this sort of environment: there's far too much gray in this world."

"Yeah…Hardlight, she can…heal cancer?"

Ethan smiled and squeezed Dennis's shoulder, before rising to his feet. "Next time she's here sparring with Aegis or KW, maybe stop by to apologize. If you happen to mention your dad during that talk…Well, Armsmaster thinks she's a good kid. If Armsy likes her…"

"Yeah. Ethan," Dennis said, still watching the photo. "Thanks. For…this."

"Anytime, kid. That's what heroes are for after all."


	12. Sunset 01

**Sunset 01**

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your favorite animal?" I asked, spooning more cereal and pretending to not pay much attention to his answer.

He swallowed his own spoonful and tapped the bowl with his spoon a moment before shrugging. "I guess anything with fur."

Great, a bad day. At least he was still going to work. "Yeah, but there has to be _something_ you really like. Maybe a bear? Or a tiger?"

"Sure. Tigers are nice."

Tigers were nice. I liked tigers. I could probably make a tiger…But he wasn't agreeing he liked tigers best, he was agreeing with tigers because it was easier than coming up with an answer. "Never mind. Do you know when you'll be home today?"

"Probably late. There's a meeting tonight I have to go to."

"Okay."

"You and Kayden can have dinner without me."

"Kayden's busy with her new client today, Dad."

"Oh. Right. I forgot."

I needed to figure out a way to talk to him about my powers. If I could heal cancer, could I heal depression? It hadn't really worked on me, but then I hadn't been trying…Not that I knew what I was doing when I healed people anyway. Maybe I should just come right out and say it? But then he would want me to join the Wards and he'd get upset when I was uncomfortable with that. And it would force Kayden to tell him about Purity to make him feel like I was safe again. I couldn't force her to tell him before she was ready.

I could wait another few days. This was going to be an important conversation and I needed to make sure I was ready.

"Have a nice day, sweetheart. Don't forget to study." He kissed the top of my head and the front door was closed before I had even processed that he had gotten up.

"Damn," I muttered. My spoon stabbed into the last dregs of my breakfast with a vengeance. "This shouldn't be so hard."

The doorbell rang before as I dropped my bowl into the sink. Who the heck was coming by so early? It was barely 8:30…

The bell rang again and I frowned as I went to grab the handle. "Who is it?" We needed a peephole.

"Taylor? What are you doing home?"

I stared at the door, a small smile rising as I recognized Tammi's voice. Pulling it open, my grin widened. She was standing on my porch in a yellow tank top and jeans, her leather jacket unzipped and a frown on her face as she stared at me. "Hi. I've officially started home-school stuff now, so I'm going to be home a lot more often. We got a new computer too, so I don't even have to go down to the library to get a lot of the work done if I don't want to."

"Oh. Uh, good…for you?"

"It is," I nodded. Moving back, I waved her in. "Come inside. It's still cold out and that jacket doesn't look warm enough."

"It's fine as long as the wind isn't too bad," she murmured stepping inside and shrugging off her coat. "I didn't expect you to be home."

"Well I am. How come you aren't heading to school?"

She grimaced, holding one arm behind her head and looking anywhere but at me. Wow, she was almost more nervous than I was. I hadn't had a friend over in…I shook my head to push out the memories of Emma. I missed her, but I didn't want those good memories to be polluted with what Sophia had twisted her into.

"I got into another fight with my cousin and her husband. I uh, well I'm not really looking forward to an upcoming thing and I made the mistake of mentioning that. So we shouted and I left. I forgot my bag, and I'm not willing to go back right now. So…your stepmom said I could come over and talk to her if something like this happened."

I had to resist the urge to punch the air. We _were_ getting through to her Tammi. Excellent! It would be awkward if my first friend since Emma was still part of the Empire. That would send all sorts of wrong signals to, well pretty much every aspect of my life. The whole spectrum. Yup, Tammi needed to get out or I was liable to head for a nervous breakdown at some point.

" _Is_ Kayden here?"

"No, she had a last minute client call to schedule a meeting for this morning. She was originally going to be home though. Usually the first ones only take two hours or so. She'll probably be back in a bit if you want to…you know, stick around." I clasped my hands behind my back to hide my restless fingers and I tried to ignore the warmth that was spreading on my cheeks.

"You don't have to start your work?" Tammi asked, examining the photos on the wall.

"No. It's really easy. I can get it knocked out in like two hours. I was actually planning to - uh, sculpt," I finished lamely. I was planning to work on crafting new minions once I had finished my work, but I couldn't say that. Sculpting was close enough - right?

"You do _pottery_?" Tammi turned to me, her mouth hanging slightly open. "Damn, I thought I was the only kid at Winslow who liked that."

Oh crap. Oh crap, crap, crap. "Uhh, yeah. I'm not very good though."

"Yeah, I hear ya. Can't make a bowl to save my life. I'm better at plates actually."

"I…just started. Figured it would keep me busy. I just like - drawing the stuff out. Working it around and making new shapes and figures, you know?" Yeah, that was more comfortable ground. My minions could be like pottery. They totally felt like shaping clay when I was working on them.

"Well that's why you're not getting quick results. You need to start small and work your way up to actual figurines. Did you manage to get your parents to spring for a kiln or do you just use a local shop once you're done?"

"Oh I'm not taking them anywhere to finish them off. A lot of my ideas are just experimental and don't go anywhere. I only have a few that are actually worth showing off."

"Hm, still that's neat." Tammi glanced around the hallway one more time before sighing. "Fuck it, I'm already here. You got any good movies we can watch until Kayden gets back? Or a game? There's a new import from Aleph out now, Morbid Combat or something. Looks like fun."

"We…can't really afford that…" I bit my lip and turned to stare at the TV. Kayden hadn't been getting enough commissions lately for any real spending money. What we had so far had gone into fixing up the house and buying my hero equipment. I was considering asking for donations or a small salary for my healing when it wasn't pro bono - it would help with the bills. "Oh! I have a few movies! Um, it's mostly a few Angelina Jolie movies, and I think I have the Lord of the Rings too. And um…Volcano? I know a lot of people don't like it because it reminds them of Behemoth, but I always thought that Anne Heche was awesome…" Stupid fucking blush. Ridiculously versatile powers and I couldn't even keep my own blush under control.

"You are such a nerd," Tammi chuckled. "Which Jolie movie? Wanted is new right? They have powers that let them curve bullets in that one yeah?"

"Yeah." Aleph had strange ideas about powers. Nobody had the _exact same_ type of power. That was just weird. The movie was good though. And Angelina was _hot_.

"Okay, let's throw it on. You can show me some of your sculptures later if Kayden still isn't back yet."

I could only nod.

How was I supposed to come up with clay figurines in two hours?!

* * *

The movie was just as good as the first time I had watched it. Even if the powers were weird. I couldn't help compare how some of the people in our world would've been able to get things accomplished instead. One good Thinker and the bad guy's plan would've fallen apart in a moment.

I had barely paid attention to the movie itself for the most part. Instead I had been watching Tammi out of the corner of my eye. She'd splayed herself out against the corner of the couch, letting her feet rest on the table. She had started out tense, the muscles in her shoulders tightened enough that I could see the definition under the straps of her tank top, but she'd slowly loosened up over the hour and a half that we sat there. By the end, she was fully slumped into the couch and I was breathing easier.

The first time I had someone over in forever and a day. It was going well.

"Can you imagine controlling that many rats?" she asked as the film ended. "I gotta think that would melt someone's brain."

"I don't know," I said, swallowing hard. "There's that one guy who controls pigeons in Wisconsin. And there's other Masters that can work with that sort of input too." Me, for example…

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged and cracked her neck turning to face me and folding her legs under the couch. "So how'd you get involved in this stuff?"

"Huh?" Her eyes were very blue. Sparkling like the sea on a sunny day.

"I mean, the figurines and such. I got into it because my parents had a workshop on the compound, back before they split off from the family, I used to hang out there. What about you?"

"Oh. Pottery." Right, I had said I did pottery. "After my mom died, I used to hang out with a - friend. We went our separate ways and I needed something to keep me busy." Just fudge the timeline a bit and that actually wasn't even a lie.

"I get it. Building things can be a hell of a lot nicer than tearing them down." Her roots had started growing in too. I stared - Tammi was a redhead. I would not have called that. I would have said brunette but in the right light, there was fire in her hair.

"So how are you planning to keep busy if your home-school stuff is going to be so simple?"

"Running." Patrolling. Same difference. Boy that was a tight shirt.

"You don't seem the type to work out." Was it hot in here? I thought I had turned on the AC…

"I wasn't, but I've been getting more into fitness. Lately."

"Cool. Always a good idea to increase your…stamina." A _really_ tight shirt.

"Yeah…"

"…Soo, you see what the new Hero did the other day? Hardlight apparently healed a ton of kids. With puppies."

That was _me_! I knew puppies had been the right idea. I could only nodd, my face just as warm as the room now.

"That was pretty badass. And adorable with how the kids were holding them. Not many people go for being nice over just punching things when you start wearing a costume."

"Mhmm."

"She's even getting Purity to clean up her act. I hadn't really thought that would be possible…"

"She's pretty cool."

"Yeah," Tammi agreed, dropping her gaze to the couch and fingering a loose stitch in the upholstery. "Yeah, she is. Cooler than me, that's for sure."

"You're pretty cool," I murmured. "Not a lot of people could pull off a leather jacket with a tank top in winter."

"It's a warm jacket."

"You look really nice in it."

"Oh. Thanks?" She lifted her eyes back up to meet mine. Such pretty eyes.

"What was that, Taylor?"

"Huh?"

"You said something about my eyes?"

"…Pretty eyes…"

"What?"

I leaned forward, one hand planted on the couch near her leg and the other reaching across to anchor myself on the armrest. So pretty…

Tammi froze beneath me as our lips touched. The only sound was the roaring of my heart in my ears. The only smell was the soft cherry scent of her lipstick. I sank into that scent and that sound and that touch. It was perfect. It was -

"What the _fuck_ , Taylor!?" Tammi shouted, pulling back and throwing her hands up between us. The world crashed back to reality around me as I fell back against my own armrest. My eyes widened and I gasped. I had just kissed her. Without saying anything beforehand. I had let my control go, my mind wander. She was breaking away from the _Empire_! She wouldn't be okay with - oh god…oh no, no, no.

I slammed my palms over my eyes and cringed into a ball in the corner of the couch. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry…"

"What the hell?! Seriously what the - are you into girls?"

"Yes." My voice was so soft I didn't even know if she could hear me.

"Christ, Taylor, you can't just _do that_! I - I live with Neo-Nazis! I grew up with Neo-Nazis! We've barely talked!"

"I know." My face was red and I could feel the tears starting to form. I was such an idiot. Such a compulsive fucking idiot.

"I'm in the _Empire Eighty Eight_!"

It felt like she'd slapped me. I deserved that. I deserved that and more. "You were nice to me."

"Taylor, you're cool. You're way too nice. You've been better to me in the past two weeks than - fuck - pretty much anyone else I know. But - "

"I'm sorry," I whimpered.

"…I can't deal with this right now. I'm just going to go. Look, I'll call you later or something."

I nodded, not lifting my hands from my eyes. The couch shifted under me and I heard the squeak of the floorboards as she went to grab her jacket.

"Taylor…Look just…I'll call you later."

I nodded again. The door closed a moment later.

There was a brief shout of surprise from the porch which finally convinced me to pull my hands down. I twisted to stare out the window only to see Tammi nearly sprinting away from the home. I had fucked that up. I had fucked that up _sooo bad_. How was I so _horrible_ at personing?!

I was going to cry again. It was going to happen. There was no possible way to avoid it. And it was totally my fault. I had no one to blame but myself. I just needed to find the ice cream and go up to my room, make a few minions and share my ice cream around with them all. That was perfect. That would -

The doorbell rang again. My head snapped to the entranceway. Tammi was still fleeing from me. Kayden had her own key. Who the _fuck_ was bothering me _now_! I needed _ice cream_ not a goddamn _package_ _delivery_!

Scowling I unfolded myself from my shame ball and started stalking to the door. I grabbed it and flung it open just as the man outside's hand reached for the ringer again.

He blinked at me and I stared out at him. This was not a delivery man. My scowl turned into something _nasty_ as I glared at Mr. Anders. "Kayden's not here," I spat.

"Oh that's perfectly fine Miss Hebert. I was actually hoping to speak with you. May I come in?"

My eyes narrowed to slits. What the hell did Kayden's ex want to do with me?

"I'm not comfortable with having you in my house. You have shit timing. Come back when Kayden or my dad are home."

"That's a very smart stance to take, especially in this city, young lady." He nodded, turning my dismissal of him into patronizing condescension. Asshole.

"Alas, I don't have much free time these days. Running my medical company is a very demanding job. I was only able to get away for a short time this morning."

"So schedule a meeting. That's what you execs like to do, isn't it?"

He actually _chuckled_ at that. Oh god I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hit him _so bad_. "We do, but I don't know if Kayden would be able to free her schedule for me. I do apologize for interrupting. Did you have a friend over? I noticed someone leaving in a bit of hurry."

Fuck you. Fuck you. _Fuck you_! "She had to go home."

"I see. Well, all the same, I just wished to extend an offer of employment in your direction, Miss Hebert."

I blinked, actually rearing back at that. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Employment. There's an internship position that has opened up in Medhall. I realize that things ended messily between Kayden and myself, but I do still wish the best for her. Ensuring that her step-daughter has good building blocks for educational and work experience is the least I can do. A Medhall internship opens doors you know. And it's quite lucrative too - compared to a teenager's normal income at least."

"We make more than enough in this household," I said, my lip curling again. We weren't _poor_. Just because we didn't live in a penthouse apartment downtown didn't mean that he could look down on my family.

"Oh, of course. I was thinking it could be used for spending money. Something that could assist you with upgrading your gear." Red flags started to go off in my head as he said that. Before I could do more than open my mouth, Mr. Anders continued, "Computers are quite expensive these days. I understand that you are doing home tutoring now; I'd imagine that your computer will need updating soon, they always seem to need updating."

"I'll handle it thanks."

He nodded, a small smirk spreading on his lips. Conceited fucker. "How are things going for you, Taylor?"

"What?"

"You could make friends with this job. It would be a good place to meet others your age. Home-schooling doesn't offer a huge social circle after all. I am…aware of your former issues. This could help you get back out there. Get you back on the horse, so to speak."

"I'm good with my friend thanks."

"The friend who just ran away?"

My fist clenched and my eyes started to water again which I hurriedly blinked away.

Mr. Anders smiled, he was a good actor. With the slump in his shoulders and the set of his jaws, it almost had me fooled that he was sympathizing with me, that he was sorry, that he was apologizing.

Except I knew that look. Sophia had taught it to Emma _very_ well. "I need to study. Have a very nice day, Mr. Anders."

I started to push the door shut though his foot got into the gap. Note to self: slam door in Mr. Asshole's face next time.

"Just think about it, Taylor. Here's my card. Call if you need anything. Any help, any assistance, any advice."

"Yeah, I'll do that." I snapped the business card from between his fingers and Mr. Anders smiled, inclining his head towards me as he removed his foot. "I'll put it right next to Blackwell's card. Goodbye." I slammed the door in his face, leaning my head against the wood a moment later.

"Have a pleasant afternoon, Taylor. It was wonderful to speak with you. Do tell Kayden I say hello."

The rickety stair creaked as he left. We had fixed that. We'd need to fix it again. Someone was going to get themselves killed one day because of that thing, hopefully Anders.

The door was cool. The coolness was soothing. I wasn't trapped. I wasn't trapped. I had control. I had _control_. A minion settled over my shoulders. I slammed a hand against the door.

 _I had control_.

Another minion clutched at my leg. I hit the door again.

A third minion plopped itself onto my head. I beat the door. I shouted. I cried. I slumped down and huddled against the wall, my head in between my knees, my arms crossed over them. My minions clustered around me.

I was still like that when Kayden finally got home.


	13. Sunset 02

**Sunset 02**

The rooftops spread out below me, the lights of the city making everything far more beautiful than it had any right to be. I had expected that flying would be scarier than it turned out to be. This wasn't so bad. Granted, we weren't exactly high, barely five feet above the edge of the nearest roof, yet still…This was nice.

"I am really not comfortable with this, Hardlight." And then Kayden had to ruin my high.

"Patrolling is good. Maybe we can help someone."

Purity sighed, reaching up a hand to rub at her temples. "Hardlight…"

"You know, I wonder if I'm immune to all bright lights or if it's just you?"

"Honey…"

"Let's go down another few blocks and then circle back west," I said. My platform minion started forward again and I dropped down to all fours to stay balanced on it. Flying was fun - that didn't mean I was going to be _stupid_ about it.

"Remember what happened the last time you didn't listen to me when I was trying to talk to you?" Purity asked, the arched eyebrow very prevalent to my eyes.

"I'm _fine_."

"Two Prozacs say otherwise."

I glared at her. "We can't get a restraining order until we get to a judge and we can't get to a judge tonight. The police were very clear about that. I want to hit something so I might as well do some _good_ while I'm working out my frustration."

"Honey, that is not a healthy attitude to have while patrolling."

"Like you're one to lecture me. You looked like you wanted to blow up the station when they couldn't help us right away." That was a low blow. I shouldn't have said that. That was just mean. Damn it.

"Yes, and you were the one who nearly filled the entire room with your little creations while gnashing your teeth. I am speaking from experience here, it is not the best idea to go out tonight. Please, can we go home? I'll make your favorite casserole!"

"Are you bribing her with _food_? Holy cow, what the heck did you do to domesticate _Purity_ of all people!?" Purity and I both turned our heads to the side at the new voice entering into the conversation - argument - only to see Glory Girl hovering a few feet away.

"Seriously, you're eavesdropping on us?" I asked.

"I've been hovering next to you for the past three minutes, it's not my fault if you're oblivious. I was trying to find an opening to say hello, but you two really don't shut up."

I grimaced. Usually I was a lot better at remaining aware of my surroundings. I was concentrating far too much on the platform though to have any brainpower for other things. Not Falling, was currently my entire world. Also the medicine probably had something to do with it. Dammit, I hated taking those pills…

"Good evening, Glory Girl," Purity said, holding a hand up in a soft wave. "There hasn't been anything of note in this area of the Docks. We were planning to travel a few blocks north before we headed in for the night if you would like to join us."

Glory Girl looked at me, her expression unreadable. Finally, she nodded once and flew closer, her hand extended. "Hi. I'm Glory Girl. You can call me Glory or GG if you'd like. I'm not really partial to GG, but Glory Girl is getting a bit…pretentious these days so take your pick."

"Hello," I replied back. "I'm not going to shake your hand right now. You'll have to wait until we're down on a roof. This is my first time flying."

"Yeah, my sister said you made little glowing angels. This is not what I expected at all."

I shrugged as best I could without lifting my hands from the moving platform. "Technically this is a minion. Technically I can also make more." I jerked my head to the side and six additional platforms popped up around us, before blipping back into non-existence just as fast. "I wanted to try flying. I've had a bad day and getting _above_ everything seemed like a good idea. Also, if I'm terrified of falling then I'm not likely to be thinking of anything else that's gone wrong today."

"Fair enough." Glory Girl turned to Purity, her mouth quirking slightly as she frowned. "You really are trying to go Hero, huh? That's…weird. You should stay away from my mom. Just to be safe."

"And not you too?" Purity asked. Glory Girl wouldn't be able to see it, but she was smirking. "From what I've heard your whole family can be a bit judgemental."

"I've recently realized that black and white leads to mental breakdown." Glory Girl's gaze dropped to the street, a scowl flitting across her face. "Opposite extremes don't work - the categories don't fit right for everyone. I'm not liking 'grey', but if trying to see grey in people means that I can avoid hurting people I care about, then I'm willing to make the attempt."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Family drama. Not your problem. So this area is dead huh? You sure you want to keep going? Casserole is a good option instead. Take it from me, hitting people while pissed off is a bad recipe."

"I'm _fine_. Will everyone stop _asking_ me that!"

"Hardlight, I'm just trying to - " Purity cut off as her phone rang. Glory Girl's phone rang a half second letter.

I stared between the two of them, finally settling on Purity as her eyes narrowed down at her phone. "Why do you both get calls from the Protectorate and not me. I'm a hero too."

"Yes, but you're also not someone they want in the path of Bad Things," Purity murmured. "Damn. It had to be _tonight_. I should've known when that asshole turned up."

"Are you going to help?" Glory Girl asked, slipping her phone back into her pocket and narrowing her eyes. "They could use you there."

"What is going on?" I asked. This was at least something that the pills helped with. I wasn't nearly as annoyed as I could - and should - be.

Purity shut her eyes, taking a moment before lifting her head and meeting my gaze. "Lung and several Empire capes are fighting at the border of their territory. Crusader, Rune, Othala, Victor, Fenja and Menja are all present."

My eyes widened. "They're going to destroy half the block with that many people against Lung!"

"Probably more," Purity scowled. "Hardlight, I need to ask you to do something that you're not going to like."

"No. I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"Hey I'm going too," Glory Girl commented. "I mean, no offense, I'm not going to try to protect her, and I don't really trust her, but as long as she doesn't take any shots at me or the Protectorate folk around, she'll have backup…after a fashion."

I shook my head, still watching Purity. My mother finally nodded once. "I'll try to draw Lung into following me. Glory Girl, Dauntless is already on-scene. If you can help him against Fenja and Menja, the rest will fall back. Those are the heavy hitters here and once they are out, none of the others will stay. I'll do what I can while baiting Lung, but the biggest help I can be is to get him focused on me. Then when we're far enough away, I'll fly off and he'll cool off instead of continuing to ramp up. Hardlight, can I trust you to protect the civilians?"

"Yes. I got it covered. Which way?"

"Market and Bayshore. Glory and I will go ahead. Follow as fast as you can."

I nodded. That was only four blocks. Squinting, I could actually see a bit of smoke coming from over the buildings in that direction. I could push my minion to better speeds and be there fast.

The other two sent me a thumbs up and flew off. I leaned forward, my minion accelerating, my eyes narrowing. Finally, I could punch someone.

* * *

The smoke was more prevalent than I had thought, but I couldn't find the fire that had to be creating it. Finding the rampaging capes however, now that was easy.

Lung was already breathing gouts of fire at Purity as she flew circles around his head. Fenja and Menja were using the distraction to smash their spears into sections of the street. Plenty of cars were already destroyed and I could see men running away everytime the valkyrie twins raised their weapons.

Scowling, I angled my minion towards a nearby roof, pushing it for a bit more speed even as I started to lose my balance. We were only a few feet from the roof when a piece of debris shot from the street towards me. My minion took the attack though I felt it flicker below me. Another rock flew my direction, I let the minion vanish, my feet landing firmly on the roof. With the platform gone, I glanced over the side of the building and pulled out about 40 lancers laying them onto the street below me.

Ten of the minions barreled forward, assisting Glory Girl in her harrying of Menja - maybe Fenja? eh, this would be Menja - while the rest surged further down the street to help the people on the side of the road. There was a nearly even mix of ABB grunts, Empire grunts, and unlucky civilians caught in the crossfire. My minions didn't discriminate, they just grabbed everyone they could find and started pushing them back from the fighting.

The lancers I had on Menja were already being squashed in the time it took to orient myself. I had lost five almost immediately and I had to keep up a near constant refresh as she kicked at them. Each minion she stopped did halt her progress momentarily however, and it was almost funny to see her nearly topple over as her foot abruptly stopped midair as it smashed one of my minions to pieces. She'd learn not to fully commit fast, but not fast enough. Glory Girl took advantage of her balance issues, flying forward to smash her in the face and send her crashing to the ground.

Her sister yelled out and moved to assist, never even seeing Purity pull up from Lung long enough to fire a blast of light into her back. Fenja sprawled right next to Menja.

Glory Girl was already circling back for more. I glanced around, trying to find the others. There had to be…There! Miss Militia and Dauntless were in the alley across the way, both of them concentrating their fire on Victor. The man was dodging everything they sent towards him while hitting them with chops and kicks in between. I could see Othala further back, peeking out from behind a dumpster. Every few seconds Victor would jump back, brush against her hand and leap forward again. He must have been getting invincibility or something from her. No way would he be able to ignore the electricity from Dauntless' arclance or the bullets from Miss Militia otherwise. Karate wouldn't work against either hero without major advantages like that.

Scowling, I tried to send a minion their way, but it was just a bit too far for me. Damn. Instead I turned my attention back to searching the road. Rune and Crusader were supposed to be here as well…

Movement to my right had me lifting my arm in reflex, a lancer springing into existence to my side. Its mouth opened in a silent shriek as something translucent smashed into it. I blinked, staring as Crusader's ghost vanished at the same time as my minion. Smart little guy had stabbed its spear out just as Crusader's tried to destroy it. I pulled more minions around me as ghosts flew over the walls of the roof.

Glaring I thrust my hand forward, the minions leaping into attack. I had to stop refreshing the ones around the valkyries to focus more on my immediate issues, but it wasn't a problem. Crusader's ghosts died just as fast as my minions and I could rebuild my troops faster than he could rebuild his own. Now just to find where the bastard was.

"I got her! Help Victor and Othala to disengage!" A girl shouted just below my roof.

Rune. If she thought she could get the drop on me, she had another thing coming. I pulled up more lancers and narrowed my eyes waiting for the moment that her platform rose into view.

"I have her!"

"The twins are running, asshole! Get Othala and Victor!"

Were the valkyries running? Oh, they were. Excellent. Go Glory and lancers! Great tag team! And Lung was already trying to leap after Purity too. That probably wasn't fun for her. At least he hadn't grown wi-oh no, now he had gotten his wings. Well that was probably it for Lung and Purity. I'd have to meet up with her at home later.

I set the remaining lancers amongst the crowd in the street to work subduing people. If we could capture most of the ABB and Empire goons, this night would actually be pretty good, barring some property damage. The civilians would be easy enough to let go once I could concentrate fully on what my minions were feeling.

Rune chose that moment to fly over the roof ledge. I smirked and pointed, my minions already jumping for her flying piece of concrete. Rune was smart though, she was far enough out that they couldn't reach and she had two smaller pieces of rock circling her.

"They're all pulling out. We can stop here!"

"You destroyed half the block!"

"Lung did most of the damage! We're done!"

I didn't deign to comment on that, just narrowed my eyes as I gave a different set of commands to my closest minion squad. They started to jump onto each other's shoulders and in an instant, my minion's reach had vastly expanded as they fell forwards towards Rune's platform, the bottom ones already climbing the makeshift light ladder to flow over and bear her to the ground.

Rune scowled, sending one of her hovering rocks through my cluster. It broke several but not enough to stop me. The first two were reaching for her when someone else appeared next to Rune out of thin air.

The Empire cape let out a cry, even as I saw something fall right in front of her. She started to run towards the edge of her platform, and the man next to her turned to stare at me. He had a demon mask on.

Oh. Oni Lee. Oh no…Rune reached the edge, just as I had a minion leap onto the grenade. She jumped, and the concrete exploded downward. My minion vanished. Rune landed on the roof, her leg giving out on her as she tumbled. A plink behind me was all the warning I had as the Oni Lee on the falling piece of concrete tumbled into ash. I jumped forward, sending a minion to drop onto the grenade I knew was behind me. It fell onto the grenade not a moment too soon as that minion vanished in a blaze of light, a large hole opening in the roof below it and the sound of the explosion ringing in my ears.

I rolled over and tried to push myself to my feet, only to find a knife at my throat, Oni Lee right above me.

"Free the ABB members. I will not ask a second time."

"Fuck you!" I snarled. Two minions stabbed into his back, but the clone dissolved into ash. I rolled over, avoiding a slash from Oni Lee as he appeared on my opposite side. I tried to redirect the minions but he was _fast_ \- this clone disappeared into ash as well. Coughing, I got my feet under me, just as Oni Lee teleported again, this time directly in front of me. His knife slashed out, even as another grenade dropped from his off-hand.

"Leave her alone, fucker!"

Two pieces of rock flew through Oni Lee's head, the clone vanishing into ash as it died. I threw myself back, throwing another minion over the free grenade. Landing next to the original hole in the roof, a quick glance showed me Rune behind me, her hand on pieces of the debris surrounding the hole.

"Be careful, he hasn't given up yet. This crazy bastard never gives up that easy."

"You're giving me advice now?" I asked, still scowling, my eyes scanning the roof even I hurried the minions on the street along with their efforts to tie all of the people up.

"Trying to make sure you don't die," Rune said. She was standing, though the weight was entirely on her left leg, her right foot was barely even touching the ground and she was breathing heavily. "Oni Lee doesn't have any sort of code and is fucking _insane_. He's a murderous psychopath."

"The same could be said of a lot of Empire people."

"Yes." Rune's quiet agreement threw me for a loop. I glanced back at her. That probably saved her life. Oni Lee popped into place just behind her his knife slashing down through the air. I gasped, all of the minions popping, allowing me to summon a knight. The knight forced itself into existence surrounding Rune completely, his shield held high, the hand holding it positioned exactly overlaying Rune's own outstretched arm.

Oni Lee's knife smashed into the shield, but the minion didn't even flicker. There was no way that a puny knife could stop _this_ guy.

Oni Lee's mask raised and centered on me. He dropped a grenade next to Rune and the pop of displaced air gave me all of the information I needed. I pulled out another knight, this time layering it over my own body. Oni Lee's blade scraped against the armored plating of the knight instead of my throat. He danced backwards, dropping a grenade which a third knight kicked to the side. I relayered another knight onto Rune as the first vanished in the grenade explosion.

Oni Lee disintegrated into ash and I carefully walked with my minion back to Rune. "Stop trying to move, it's really hard to keep the minion in the right spot with you squirming."

"What the fuck is this?!"

"Do you like being blown up or gutted like a fish? I just want to arrest you, _he_ wants to kill you. Stop squirming!"

The feelings surging to me from the sensations of my minion were…beyond weird. I had never encapsulated _anything_ before and the feel of something moving _inside_ my guys was just all sorts of wrong. It itched at my skin and set my hair on end and I could feel the goosebumps rising on my arms. Thankfully Rune stopped moving and the alien sensation started to die down to a manageable level.

"How long before we know if he's gone?" I asked.

"Give it another minute or two. He's surprising, but not exactly sneaky; and he's a coward. If he doesn't think he can win, he'll run. Lung is gone already anyway."

We waited in silence for another three minutes. Once nothing else exploded around us, I dropped the knights and turned my full attention on Rune, even as I pulled out the lancers again to surround her. "You're under arrest."

She just eyed me from under her hood. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Pretty sure I saved your life at least once."

"Pretty sure I saved yours more."

Rune chuckled. "Okay yeah, that's fair. Look, Hardlight, I _really_ can't get arrested. I can't go back to juvie and with the people I associate with, that's where I'd be going."

My eyes narrowed and some of the minions poked her with their spears. "You should have thought of that before you started working with the _Empire_."

"It's…not that simple, T-Hardlight."

My eyes were slits as I caught her voice slip on my name. "What did you say?"

"I said it's not that simple. Some of us don't have a real choice. Please, just…let me go. I have a…promise to keep. To a friend."

"I can't. I'm sorry." And I actually meant that too. Why did her voice sound so familiar and what had she started to say before? My mind started racing to conclusions, conclusions that I squashed _fast_. There was no way. Because this day couldn't get worse and _someone_ in this godforsaken fight needed to get punished instead of _getting away_!

"Please…I _can't_ go back to juvie. I…I can't."

One of my minions on the street raised its lance in salute as Miss Militia walked over to it. Several of the goons had gotten away, but I'd been able to tie up enough before being forced to swap minions that there were still plenty there to keep her busy for another minute or two.

"The Protectorate could work with you," I said, my hands falling to my sides.

"I was a criminal before I started working with the Empire," she murmured. "They'd never let me in. I can't get out. I…please. I can't go back and they wouldn't give me any other options."

"The Protectorate has assholes, sure, but they aren't all - "

"I'm not like you, Taylor. I'm not…a good person." She reached up to grab her hood as I felt my breath catch in my throat.

_Please don't pull the hood back. Please don't pull the hood back. Please don't pull -_

Rune unlatched two clasps and she shoved the green cloth off of her head. I stared at Tammi, unable to breathe. "Please, just let me go. I promise, I'll explain everything. I'm sorry for running away earlier, but please. You need to let me go."

"You said…"

"That I was a getaway driver. Depending on how you look at it, I am." She shrugged, the ghost of a smile on her face. "Taylor, I triggered _in_ juvie. I can't go back. Please don't make me go back." Tammi's voice broke on the last word and her head dropped to stare at the broken rooftop.

I shut my eyes and turned away, wrapping my hand around my scars. The minions vanished, leaving behind their sparkly confetti.

"Taylor…"

"Go. Just…just go."

"…I'm sorry. This wasn't how I wanted to tell you. I…"

"Just _go_!"

A tearing sound cracked through the air. I didn't have to look behind me to know that she was flying away.

I was proud of myself that at least _this_ time, I didn't let a minion fall onto my shoulders to hug me.


	14. Sunset 03

**Sunset 03**

"Hardlight, it would help the report if you were able to tell me about when Rune got away," Dauntless said, the pen in his hand hovering over his notepad.

"I don't know," I mumbled, hand still clutching my arm. A few of my minions were puttering around randomly hugging some of the bystanders who had gotten pulled into the fight. I had left the gang members alone beyond the most basic care to make sure they weren't dying. The civilians I was trying to heal as much as I could though.

"Anything would help, Hardlight."

I focused on one of the little guys helping a woman and her son. The kid was playing pattycake with the warden. "I was pretty tired after I stopped Oni Lee from murdering her. I've never layered a minion over a person before and it was…weird."

"Okay."

"When he was gone, I just…I figured it was better to start healing people instead of keeping up the fight. I only really have one flying schematic that can support me anyway and the others aren't easily able to free-fly. My range isn't huge, I wouldn't have been able to catch her." It wasn't even really a lie. Once Tammi was airborn I would've fallen behind. I needed to make a mount. A combat capable mount. But that would just be inviting more problems. What if someone hit my mount? I couldn't fly by myself and I was falling then would I be able to think clearly enough to summon a minion directly underneath me? Would it be able to take my weight? Would I just go crashing through minion after minion until I smashed like a bug on the ground?

Did I want to fly badly enough to risk it?

"…Hardlight? Hardlight?"

"What? Sorry. I…sorry, it's been a long day."

"I understand." Dauntless put away his pad and smiled at me from beneath the edges of his helm. "We're done here and I think everyone nearby has been healed. Miss Militia and Velocity are handling the roundup of the gang members. Do you want help getting home?"

"Purity got away from Lung?"

"A few minutes ago, yes. She contacted us to make sure that you were alright. She's doing a few circles nearby to make sure that no one else is trying anything in the meantime."

I nodded. "I'd…like a ride. I don't really feel up to building a horse right now and I'm too tired to work with the platform."

"This way. We have some discrete vans I can borrow."

I just nodded, and followed along behind him. On the street, the minion with the toddler gave the boy a quick High Five, bowed and burst in confetti a moment later.

* * *

I had used the back of the van to change into my casual clothes before slipping back into the house. It looked like I hadn't needed to worry though: Dad was sleeping by the time I got home. It was barely 9pm. I collapsed on my bed.

I needed more friends. I _really_ needed more friends. Someone I could talk to about this shitshow that was my life now. I pulled out my phone and held it in the air above me, flipping through my contacts. The list was depressingly small.

Listening for Kayden to come back and still not hearing the door or a window slide open, I sighed and pressed the number for Aegis. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Hardlight? Is something wrong? Do you need help?"

"No, I…sorry. I just wanted to talk to someone."

"Oh, well in that case I guess I'll stop pulling my costume on." His chuckle brought a small smile to face. "So what's up? I heard there was a fight down by the Docks earlier. Things go bad?"

"Whole day has gone bad. The fight actually went somewhat well until the end. I can fly now by the way."

He snickered. "Well it looks like you just won me 50 bucks. Kid Win didn't think you'd be able to pull that trick off."

"Well, it's probably closer to hovering with style, but it counts. I'm considering making a pegasus mount, but I don't know how good of an idea it is. I mean, it would be awesome, and if I give it a horn then I could summon more too and still be able to go on the offensive even while I'm in the air. But I'm worried someone will blow it up from under me and then I'm out of luck and falling. I could also make a pterosaur for extra awesome, but it has the same problem really."

"Yeah, falling from high up is not fun. I made the mistake of entering a null field while flying once. Let's just say that my body survived far better than my pride did. I was yelling the whole way down."

"How did you manage that? There's no power nullifiers in Brockton Bay."

He snorted. "We had an exchange trip of sorts to New York a few months back. Their branch of the Wards are certainly arranged differently that's for sure."

"That's cool." I paused for a moment, casting out for something else to say. I had to remember how to talk to people right? _Right_? "Meet anyone interesting?"

"Hmm, well a lot of the Wards thought I was more or less insane. Brockton Bay is apparently known as just a step up from Madison in most circles."

I pulled my phone off my ear and stared at it. "Madison. As in, Simurgh's Madison."

"Yeah. Crazy huh?"

"You can say that again," I muttered.

Aegis was quiet for a moment before he asked, far less animated than a minute prior, "Do you want to talk about it?"

My breath hitched. "I'm…not sure what you mean."

"There's a video on PHO," he sighed. "The PRT is trying to get it taken down, but by the time they do, it's going to have made the rounds. You know her out of costume, huh?"

I had to wipe a hand over my eyes as I nodded. Realizing belatedly that he couldn't see that, I whispered, "Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Not really."

"If you want to talk - formal or casual - I'm here."

I couldn't respond. I squeezed my eyes shut and just clung to the phone.

"Hardlight? Are you still there."

"I don't really have friends, Aegis. I don't…"

"Let's meet up. Tomorrow, lunch by the Boardwalk? I'll pay. It's not a date, just _friends_ meeting up."

"…Thank you."

* * *

Tammi shook her head yet again. "Sir, I don't know how many times I can tell you, I _don't know_. She looked exhausted and she just told me to leave."

"No idea, _at all_ , Rune?" Kaiser asked, leaning against the side of his metal throne. Tammi resisted the urge to fidget as he flipped a small metal blade between the fingers of his left hand. There were too many people in the room still. Maybe if it had just been her and him, she could've given him more to placate the bastard. But with this many people…She wasn't going to say shit.

"The best I can do is that she realized I'd saved her life when the demon squint started doing his psycho bomber thing. Maybe she felt grateful and gave me a pass."

"That's the best you can do?" Kaiser asked, sighing.

Tammi bit her tongue, but didn't move beyond her head bob. He knew. The bastard must have seen her running from Taylor's house and now he knew and -

"Did you, perchance, come _right_ here to give your report?"

She frowned. What the hell did that have to do with anything? "Yeah…"

"Then I assume you have not checked your messages on PHO?" he continued. Melissa refused to meet Tammi's gaze and Vic just shook his head.

"No. Should I have?"

"Well it would certainly make your lies easier." Tammi's blood ran cold. Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck, _fuck_. "Someone show her the video."

She didn't move as James walked out to the center of the 'throne room' to stand next to her with his phone extended. Tammi glanced down, breathing a small sigh of relief. The footage was from a cellphone - a bad cellphone since the zoom sucked. There was no audio except the background explosions of Militia and Dauntless as they continued to harry Jess and Nessa. What the video _did_ capture however was Tammi reaching up to pull down her hood while Taylor stared at her, and the subsequent implosion of the minions before she flew off.

"Care to change your story now, Rune?" Kaiser asked, his smirk as mocking as the entire theater he had just put on. The fucker knew before she walked into the room that he was going to be playing her like a fiddle. He was never going to do anything to the Empire's most mobile member, but he would take every opportunity to make certain that Tammi _knew her place_.

God-fucking- _dammit_.

"No," she stated, her eyes narrowed to slits. "There is nothing that you don't know, Sir. You've been to her house. You know who she is. You know who her _mother_ is. You've asked me to meet her at school. I have _met_ her, yes. But we don't meet outside of school and she's not even going to school anymore. She knew I was Empire before either of us recognized each other in costume. I have no leverage over her at all and the only thing that removing my hood did was to show her a face instead of another E88 grunt. I hoped it would get her to emphasis with me. Apparently it worked."

"Empha _size_ , Rune. The word is empha _size_."

"What-fucking-ever." She had never blatantly lied to Kaiser's face before. She'd dodged the truth before sure and omitted some dangerous items in reports, but she'd never _lied_.

What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she continuing to protect this messed up girl who kept butting into things that she had no right sticking her neck into?!

Kaiser sighed and let the metal blade flip into his hand, ceasing its movements. "She was being considerate of your position. You didn't think to use that for leverage in the moment? We have not had altogether pleasant reactions from Purity since Hardlight entered the scene. Turning the girl would be extremely advantageous for us."

Tammi didn't have to fake a gawk as she stared at the man. "You're saying I should've risked getting _Purity_ mad at me? Purity?! Her Fuck Off beams would _vaporize_ me if I so much as made Hardlight _cry_." Except she had already done that hadn't she? Twice now…How could she make this right without getting Taylor right back into Kaiser's crosshairs?

He scowled and leaned forward. "All the same, you are the best chance we have. She knows your face. She knows your name. Bring her into the fold or push her away hard enough that she leaves the city. If Hardlight transfers, then Purity will do the same."

"What?"

"I was content to let Purity play her little game of Wannabe Hero; it was adorable and it was always doomed to failure. But now she is attacking our members. She is making a nuisance of herself and that I will not allow. Get to Hardlight, Rune. Bring the girl in or get her far away. I will accept nothing else."

Tammi frowned. Her gaze ran over Kaiser, taking in his pinched brows and the thin line of his mouth. She swallowed, hard. "You need me."

"You are convenient. You are not irreplaceable. Recruit Hardlight or drive her away. This will be resolved before our next clash with the chinks. Go."

Tammi turned on her heel and stalked towards the door as fast as she could without shifting into a run. Her hand was on the knob when Kaiser called out, "And, Rune? One last thing." Turning her head, towards him, she saw Kaiser flip his blade into the air, snatching it with his other hand and pointing it directly at her chest. "Do not lie to me again."

Tammi fled as Kaiser just smirked.

* * *

Tammi paced along the length of the deserted Boardwalk, completing her third lap even as she pivoted on her heels and started the trek back to the opposite end again. The fact that it was mid-day on a Thursday didn't particularly help her attempt to stay incognito. Not that anyone would care even if they did recognize she should be in school. Cops didn't come to the Boardwalk. Supposedly the Enforcers should've approached her to tell her off for being truant, yet there were too many who were paid off by the Empire to do that. And too many of the others were only being paid to watch for shoplifters to care. No, she was fine to try and think here.

It wasn't like she was missing anything at Winslow anyway. The school was completely useless, skipping two days in a row wasn't going to mean jack shit.

There had to be a way out. A way to give Kaiser what he wanted without getting Taylor hurt in the process. And why did that even _matter_ anymore? Taylor was a stupid little girl, an emotional wreck, a complete liability who was tearing down Tammi's entire world simply by _existing_ and trying to _talk_ to her. And the brunette had _kissed_ her! Tammi wasn't gay. She wasn't gay and she didn't want Taylor to kiss her with her adorable lips or her cute pout and she certainly didn't want to know whether Taylor's hair was as silky as it looked despite the curls and -

Tammi scowled and kicked at the bench she was passing, ignoring the pain radiating up from her toe. Fuck. She wasn't _gay_. She wasn't. She looked at guys. She liked looking at guys. She enjoyed watching the buff guys at the gym in their…no, their bulging muscles were gross. Uh, she liked their…no, the gruff, deep voices were a total turnoff. Well she _definitely_ liked the way they…no, whenever the fuckers were possessive and manly and marked their territory it was completely disgusting and made her gag.

But…Tammi snarled at a pretty college girl who made the mistake of not moving out of her way fast enough. The girl's brunette hair was beautiful as it waved in the breeze and her fingers were perfectly shaped as she held up her hands, stepping to the side to let Tammi walk past. Her smile sparkled just like Taylor's had while they were sitting on her couch and -

" _Fuck_!" Tammi spat. She dropped onto the next bench and let her head fall into her hands. "I _can't_ be gay," she muttered.

A chuckle behind her had her head whipping around to glare at the blonde passing by. "Something to say, bitch?"

"Nah, just thinking that it's rather hilarious watching the delusional people in this city."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Tammi rose, balling her fists.

"Oh, sweetie, if you're not a lesbian then I'm the Queen of England."

Tammi growled. "Come over here and say that."

The blonde laughed again and shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with it. Unless you're in the Empire." Her eyes practically sparkled as her grin turned decidedly fox-like. "If so, maybe you should start looking for a different career. Or just live a lie and despise yourself for forever. Word to wise, sweetie, I've tried the latter, it sucks balls. Tata!" She waved and stepped back. Tammi surged forward, trying to catch the bitch, but the blonde had managed to vanish into the non-existent crowd.

"Neat trick," Tammi muttered, glaring around her. "Next time I'm going to deck you, bitch."

Dumb blondes aside, Tammi still had a problem. She needed to figure out how to help Taylor _without_ getting herself beaten half to death by Kaiser. And she still needed to figure out how to _talk_ to Taylor now that they had both burned any bridges that might have stood between them. Would Taylor even take her call if she tried to reach out? Should she call Kayden instead? Did she even want to talk to Kayden? That wouldn't help things at all. She needed to apologize first and then she needed to find a neutral area away from any cameras so that she could calmly discuss things.

Yes. That was perfect. And if that failed, she could just go to Taylor's house instead. That would work too. That might be better. That would be better. That would be easier. And smarter. And safer. And faster too. She should bring something too, apologies were always better with gifts. Chocolate would work. Everyone loved chocolate. Yeah, she would go to Taylor's house, and bring chocolate, and apologize and -

"Fuck. I'm gay," Tammi groaned, slapping a hand to her head and slumping to the wooden walkway, her back to the ice cream shop. She slammed her head back against the paneling behind her a few times grunting each time. "This. Is. Not. Fair!"

Scowling, she slammed her fist into the wood, and bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood as she pushed herself back to her feet. Fuck self-pity. If she was going to do this shit, she was going to do it _right_. Maybe Kayden would know what to do. Hell, maybe Kayden would just take Taylor and leave the city and then all of Tammi's problems would be solved in a one easy package.

All except for the one about her not _wanting_ Taylor to leave. Fuck.

She turned, deciding to walk down the Boards a bit further to see if there were any better ideas she could come up with. Not that her current plan was fantastic. It basically sucked six ways to Sunday, but it was a start. She could probably -

Tammi froze, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open as she stared through the window of the ice cream shop.

Taylor was in there. Eating ice cream. With a _boy_. And they were both smiling and laughing.

Tammi twisted, her fists balled and her eyes wet. "Fuck this city. Fuck my life. Fuck _everything_!"

If she was gay she was not going to give up without a fight. Not now that she knew what she wanted.

She was still going to get that god-damned-fucking _chocolate_.


	15. Interlude C-1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Man, I'm just having too much fun with this story to switch to a different one at the moment. This interlude is shorter because there will be a second one following on before we move into the new arc.

**Interlude C-1**

Emily stared at the teenager sitting in front of her. That didn't work so she stared some more. He still didn't miraculously vanish into thin air. Instead he started fidgeting in his seat. So she laughed. A great big, hefty laugh, a laugh from before Ellisburg. Aegis grimaced, glancing to the side, looking to Armsmaster for support.

"Director, are you well?" Armsmaster asked.

Emily waved the man off, shaking her head and getting her chortling under control while wiping a finger across her eyes. "I'm sorry, are you expecting me to punish you for this, Aegis?" She couldn't help the little snicker that escaped her at the thought of that. There couldn't _be_ a better win for the PRT than what the boy had done. Hell, the only thing that could make this situation better was if she somehow managed to get Flechette transferred to Brockton and set the two up on a date!

"I unmasked to a relatively unknown entity with dangerous connections, without getting any sort of okay beforehand. I thought that you would frown on it, Ma'am." The look on Aegis' face was priceless and if she could have gotten away with it she would have snapped a picture.

"Aegis, how often have I reiterated the need to get this girl onto the team? That we _need_ this healer to like us and work with us?"

"A lot, Ma'am."

"Especially now that Panacea is 'taking a break to focus on family.'"

"Even still, Ma'am."

"What you choose to do with your civilian identity is your own concern and I don't give a damn, _until_ it becomes my concern when someone uses it to target you."

He grimaced. "Her stepmother _is_ Purity. And I did get a funny look from the woman when she was picking Miss Hebert up."

"Well you're latino and she's a racist bitch, so I'd be more surprised if you didn't. What I'm more interested in, is if _Hebert_ was dismissive at all upon seeing you. Of course if Purity tried to attack you things would be different, but considering you're sitting in front of me and there weren't alarms blaring in my office this morning, I don't think that happened." She grinned upon seeing him fidget again. "Oh calm down, Aegis. Getting Hebert on friendly terms is a major plus for us. Even if we just get her as an associated healer that's a massive win. If she pulls in Purity too, all the better. I've been getting nearly hourly calls from Glenn about if we've been able to get the 'Cancer Curing Puppy Girl' on board yet. I'm half convinced he's going to relocate here just so he can harass us easier."

"I didn't meet with her because of standing orders," Aegis murmured.

Emily waved her hand. "I know, and that makes it even _better_. You're showing her we're _human_ and that she can _trust_ us. The PRT is not entirely composed of Hess and her ilk or other assorted missteps. Hardlight is not a top tier cape; not _yet_. But she is incredibly versatile and I _want_ that versatility. It's only a matter of time before she realizes she can get creative and if we're the ones directing that creativity then the city will be better off."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Now, you still haven't answered my question." Emily leaned forward and folded her arms on the desk. " _Is_ Hebert a racist like her stepmother?"

Aegis shook his head. "Not at all. She didn't have any sort of reaction when she met me and when Purity flinched upon seeing me, she immediately started glaring at the older woman until Purity took the hint and started apologizing. It was almost embarrassing actually."

Armsmaster rubbed his chin. "Interesting. Did she appear sincere or was she just doing it to appear so to her daughter?"

"Sincere, that's what made it awkward. I didn't know how to get her to stop…"

Emily nodded. That was better than she had hoped for. Purity was attacking Empire capes now which was decidedly a win, though if she was even trying to correct herself out of costume, perhaps there really was hope for Glenn's endgame after all. Not that she'd ever tell the insufferable man himself that, of course.

"One last thing, Aegis." He nodded to her as she tapped her finger on the desk. Most of her good humor left her voice as she continued, "Did Hebert mention anything about Rune?"

"I'm…not sure how much I should say, Ma'am."

Damn capes and their damn divided loyalties. "Is she a problem?"

He hesitated again before slowly shaking his head. "We didn't really talk about it. I know the two know each out of costume. I know that was the first time that she recognized Rune _in_ costume. I…got the impression that she's distinctly unhappy about the entire situation."

"I'd imagine so. Perhaps we can turn this to our advantage. Rune has a record, but so have others in the past. If we can swing this so that we can get three capes for the price of one delinquent bitch…and take two villains off of the field…" Emily nodded. "Yes, Armsmaster, start drafting a plea deal for Rune. Let's see if we can't use this as another carrot to get either or both on board."

"Yes, Director."

"Now, have we found how someone was in _just_ the right location to take footage of those two interacting? That was far too perfect - and far too perfectly blurry - to be mere coincidence. Someone has tipped their hand and I want to know who."

The armored hero's lips narrowed into a thin line. "Dragon and I are having a difficult time tracking the point of origin. The best indication I can obtain at this time is that the feed was deliberately edited to be of lower quality than it was shot at."

Aegis frowned. "Why would someone do that?"

"They want to control the narrative and have leverage of their own to use on a rainy day," Piggot said. "The Empire wouldn't need something like and the ABB would never want anything that shows Oni Lee in a bad light. This has Coil written all over it."

"Should I tell Taylor that he might know her friend's face?" Aegis asked.

Piggot tapped the desk again thinking for a few moments before sighing and nodding. "Go ahead. Make sure she knows that it's just speculation at this point and what she decides to do with it is her choice."

"Okay."

Emily waved at the two capes and pushed her chair back. "Alright, business is done. Get out of here both of you. I have to finish my dialysis before something blows up today."

The capes stood, nodding to her as they left. She leaned back in her chair taking another moment to bask. She chuckled. "Purity _and_ Rune all because one paranoid, stupid, idealistic teenager made a bad choice and accidentally assaulted a Ward. Who would have thought?"


	16. Interlude C-2

**Interlude C-2**

Danny sipped his coffee and read the paper. The Boston Braves were apparently facing off against the Brockton Bucks again. That could be an entertaining game. The BBs vs. the BBs was generally enough to bring an amused smirk to everyone watching even if both teams were rather bad at the sport itself. Maybe they could make it a family event?

The front door flew open and both of his girls stormed inside, the door slamming shut behind Taylor. As soon as it was closed she rounded on Kayden, her lip curled into a snarl and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Stop telling me that it's 'for my own good'! I'm sick and fucking tired of it!"

"You have to trust me on this Taylor!"

"Bullshit! You're protecting _him_!"

"I am _not_! I despise that cockroach."

"Then tell me why the judge is fucking protecting him, Kayden!"

So probably not a family event then. Danny sipped more of his coffee and arched his eyebrows at the women. They had gone to deal with something about his fiance's ex-husband this morning. He couldn't really remember what it was about exactly, but he knew that Taylor and Kayden had both been upset about it the other day. Apparently it hadn't gone well. He should probably be disappointed that Taylor had inherited his legendary temper, yet it was rather amusing watching his daughter be the angry one for once. She was generally so quiet.

"Taylor. I have been telling you over and over and _over_ that it is not _safe_ to know why. Please. Stop. _Asking_."

"Tell. Me," Taylor snapped.

"I will handle this. There are other recourses that I can take now. He's escalated, I can do the same."

"Kayden, I swear to fucking Scion - "

A knock on the door interrupted Taylor's building rant and both of their heads turned to look at the front door. Danny just sipped his coffee again. Taylor stalked to the door, throwing it open. Danny leaned sideways just enough to be able to see Taylor frozen with one hand on the door and one hand on the wall as she stared at the person standing outside.

"Tammi. This…Really is not a good time."

"Oh. Oh well I uh…"

"Oh, hello dear," Kayden said, a smile blooming on her face as she clasped her hands. "Why don't you come in?"

Taylor's head snapped to Kayden her lip curling again. "Seriously? What the fuck, Kayden!"

Kayden frowned. "Taylor?"

Danny cocked his head at that too.

"You freak out that I start talking to Carlos - who's very much a good guy - but you don't give two shits about the literal _Empire Eighty Eight_ member showing up on our porch?!"

"I - "

"Take your secrets and leave me fucking alone, Kayden!" Kayden flinched and turned to the side. She saw Danny sitting at the table and gaped. He waved, smiling at her. Her melancholy fell away and she reached up to cover her mouth, holding in a small chuckle as she rolled her eyes. Inclining her head upstairs, he nodded. Slipping away a moment later, Danny leaned to the side again so that he could continue to watch his daughter back at the door of the house.

"And you! Stop sneaking away! You came to my house, you don't get to run because I'm in a bad mood."

"But you - "

"No, come in! I'm sorry I yelled. I - " Taylor stepped back, taking a deep breath and running her hands down her body from head to toe. Danny caught a brief flash of light winding between her legs that was gone in an instant before he could really process what it was. Shaking his head, Taylor let out a breath and looked back to the door. "I'm sorry. I said you had bad timing and I meant it, but I shouldn't have said that. Please come in?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I just really wanted to apologize and drop these off and - I can come back."

"…Is that chocolate. And flowers?"

"…Yeah…"

"You brought me chocolate and flowers?"

Danny smiled. His little girl was growing up so fast.

"I didn't know what you liked so I got a bit of everything."

"You got me chocolate and flowers…"

"I know you were on a date with that guy and I didn't mean to pry, but I just saw you and I ran away when you kissed me and I know that I'm in a Nazi gang so you probably think that I want nothing at all to do with this…but I've been thinking and I'm willing to try actually I kinda really want to try, so fuck the Nazis, and fuck that guy. I'm getting you fucking flowers and chocolate, so here!"

Taylor stumbled a step back from the door, her arms full with a large bouquet of flowers and a tin of the fancy chocolates that they sold from that nice shop on the Boardwalk. Danny's smile grew larger and he didn't even care that his mug had run dry.

"You…what?"

"I don't know how I'm getting out. I have _no fucking idea_ , but I'm going to figure something out. And I still owe you an explanation. But I wanted you to know that I'm not out of the race and I'm still running. Okay? I'm running. I may have tripped for a bit and I'm pretty sure I was running backwards for the first half but now I got myself twisted right way around and - fuck. I think I've lost whatever point or metaphor I had, but whatever. I'm going to go now before I make more of an ass of myself."

The porch step squeaked as his daughter's visitor started to flee. Taylor surged forward, shouting out, "Tammi, it wasn't a date! He's just a friend - I'm gay! Total lesbian!"

The would-be-girlfriend must have stopped because she shouted back, "Oh. Um, okay them. Good to know that I'm only completing with my own dumb ass then. I'll uh, see you soon then in that case, Taylor."

The door shut and Taylor leaned against it groaning. Danny sidled up to the wall between the kitchen and the entrance-way, holding his empty mug and smiling at his daughter. Taylor turned, saw him and gasped, her hand flying to her heart and nearly dropping the flowers and the chocolate. "Dad! How, how long have you been there?"

He pretended to drink some coffee. "Hmm, only since before you and Kayden got home. I was reading the paper."

"You…oh god…"

"So, sounds like you have a girlfriend, huh?"

Taylor went beat red and he chuckled. Stepping forward he took the flowers from her and headed back to the kitchen. "I'll put these in a vase. After that how about you and I head out for the day. Give you a chance to cool off for a bit. If I know you sweetheart, you're going to feel bad about that argument later and this will be the perfect way to get everything into perspective before having to talk to Kayden again."

Taylor shuffled behind him as he filled the vase with water from the tap. "You…want to go out?"

"I'm feeling good today. We haven't hung out together in a long time. I was going to suggest a family day originally, but how about just you and me instead, Little Owl?"

"I'd…really like that, Dad."

"Great! How do you feel about the zoo?"

"Anywhere you want to go, Dad. Anywhere you want to go."

* * *

Danny hadn't remembered seeing Taylor so enthused to wander around the zoo for years. She barely even noticed the animals as they walked. The shows were wonderful though and brought a huge smile to her face. He was grinning right along with her. This was fun. This was great. This was wonderful.

If only it could always be like this.

Danny shook his head as Taylor ran ahead to stare at the reptile house. He knew he was sick. He knew that most days things weren't this good. He'd been trying to find someone he could talk to who was in their budget, even if a lot of the people that were willing to take him on kept having full schedules. It was only a matter of time before he found the right doctor, even if he had to go out of the city to do it.

He'd do anything to make sure that his Little Owl and his fiance could keep smiling. Annette wouldn't want him to keep drowning. And if he had to keep reminding himself of that every day until things made sense again, he'd do it.

Kayden was a godsend. That she had walked into his life and stayed even after realizing his issues was amazing. And that she adored Taylor as much as he did was simply astounding. He'd talked to other single parents and he knew how rare it was to find another partner that loved your child like that.

She had her issues, but who didn't? Danny could barely get out of bed some days, surely prior gang issues were something that could be overlooked, especially while she was clearly regretful about it. Some days it felt like she was trying harder to improve than Danny himself was!

"Dad, look! A grizzly bear! It's so big…I wonder…"

"Yeah, that's a burly fellow there, Taylor."

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I have a secret to tell you…Tonight."

He smiled and reached over to ruffle her hair. When had she gotten so tall? "How about tomorrow? Kayden and I have a secret of our own to tell you sweetheart."

Taylor frowned. "You do?"

"We do. We can exchange secrets," he said, chuckling.

Taylor slowly nodded. "Okay. That works I guess. I don't think we're thinking of the same kind of secret…but okay."

Danny pulled Taylor against his side in a one-armed hug. "Little Owl, whatever your secret is, I guarantee you, you're going to be surprised with ours."

"Sure, Dad. You're going to be pretty surprised with mine too."

* * *

By the time they left the zoo, the sun had started to dip below the buildings. Danny had just gotten the keys into the ignition when he swore. "Ah dammit, I forgot, I need to pick up a file from the office."

"Tonight?" Taylor asked.

"We have a meeting with the Artist Guild on Monday and I wanted to get a head start on checking through the contract they sent over. It will be a lot of good work for the boys if we can secure a deal for Forsberg."

Taylor sighed. "Oh. We should go get it then."

"No need for us both to be late, Taylor," Danny said. "It's already getting close to dinner and you need to make up with Kayden."

"I know…"

"Here, money for the bus, it leaves in about five minutes."

"Dad…"

"The office is clear across town and we're getting into traffic hour now. Go, I'll meet you back home, Little Owl."

She rolled her eyes and leaned across the center console to kiss his cheek. "Fine, fine. Drive safe, Dad."

"I will. I love you, honey."

"Love you too. See you in an hour or two."

He waved as she got out and then waited until he saw Taylor get onto the bus in front of the zoo before he drove away. While it was true that he needed to get the file, he mostly just wanted to give Taylor and Kayden time to work things out on their own before he was back butting into the middle of whatever the issue this morning was about.

After all, if Kayden was going to be officially adopting Taylor, his two girls needed to have their fight resolved.

* * *

The office was completely deserted by the time he felt it was safe to head home. He had ignored two calls on the landline in the past three minutes too. Why someone was bothering to call the Dockworkers Union _now_ of all times was beyond him, but they certainly weren't going to rope him into working tonight. Not when he was having a good day.

The phone rang again and Danny signed, grabbing his coat and throwing it on. He checked the clock and grinned to himself. "They should be done by now. Now where did I put that remote…" Shoving some papers to the side, he finally found the little remote for the tv he had thrown on to keep himself distracted. As he reached for it, his finger hit the channel button by accident flicking to the news.

"… _Max Anders."_

Danny frowned, his finger hovering over the power button. "That's Kayden's ex-husband. What's he doing on the news…"

" _While we cannot confirm the wider working of Medhall itself, the evidence provided to this station is incontrovertible. The identity of Kaiser is indeed confirmed. We urge all patients to review your status and if at all possible, transfer to a different location. While it's certainly possible that Medhall is not associated with the Empire Eighty Eight, it is very worrying that such a large company is run by someone who leads such an organization. We can only hope that the PRT takes appropriate action and an investigation is launched."_

Danny gaped, staring at the picture on the screen, Kayden's ex and Kaiser side by side. "Holy _fuck_!"

He slapped the power button for the tv and ran from the office. He flew out of the door to the building when he nearly smashed into the chest of a burly man standing just behind the threshold.

"Sorry, didn't see you there. Excuse me, I need to get home," Danny said. He twisted the key in the lock and made to step past the man, only to find his path blocked by an outstretched arm. Danny's eyes narrowed as he turned his head to meet the other man's gaze. "What are you doing here? The Union is closed for the night."

"Yeah it is," his voice was gruff. Danny took a step back, his eyes casting about for something, anything. "You probably should've stayed at home."

"Who are you?"

"It's really not that important." He shook his head and sighed. Danny's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a metal pipe leaning against the siding. Edging back, he made sure to keep the man in view. "You've been bad. I get it, for what it's worth, I really do. I can even respect your decision. Judgement went bad, you wanted to protect your family however you could."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Danny's hand wrapped around the pipe even as the man chuckled. "Of course you don't. There's no use pretending. You're not a good hacker, Daniel. Had you been leaking the identity of _any_ other villain in this city it would probably have been fine. Fuck, even that squint Lung likely wouldn't have really cared. But Kaiser, see Kaiser has a thing for consequences. You're already on his shit list for fucking his girl."

Danny's mouth went dry. He didn't stop to think, he swung the pipe towards the man's head. It slammed into the side of the buff man with a reverberating clang. Danny's arm shook from the impact and he dropped the pipe. The other man just grinned. "Not bad, Daniel. Not bad at all. That might have actually worked too, if I wasn't Hookwolf."

Danny felt ice travel up his veins as he stared at the cape in front of him. "I don't know what you think I did, but I swear to you, all I've done was spend the day with my family."

Hookwolf sighed. "I actually almost believe you. Tell you what, I'll make this quick. Man to man. Kaiser wants it slow and painful. I'll make sure you don't suffer. I may be a murderer, but that doesn't mean I always agree with how we go about these things. I am sorry. I know it doesn't help, but figured I'd say it."

"Please…"

"Good night, Daniel."


	17. Interlude C-3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So this chapter turned out quite a bit longer than I had anticipated so apologies for taking so long to get it out. It didn't help that writing Piggot without falling too far in either direction is difficult. Anyway, enjoy the resolution to the mini-cliffhanger!

**Interlude C-3**

(Two Years ago)

"Danny Hebert, as I live and breathe! Why, fancy seeing _you_ here good man!"

Kayden sighed at the elaborate enthusiasm Marcus Rowe was oozing. The man was such a pig; that James had allowed such a stupid thug any sort of leadership role was simply ridiculous. It must have been a bad week for James to have slipped far enough to not bother vetting someone like Rowe.

Not that it was any of her business anymore. She was done with that life now. This wasn't her problem. Who James chose to elevate and who that little idiot chose to shakedown and where was not _her_ problem. All she wanted was a nice drink, and to hopefully forget about Max and her continual failing at the _one_ thing she wanted out of life.

"Didn't we just meet a few hours ago old buddy? I know you remember. You told me to come back later, din't ya?"

"I believe I said to get lost. The DWA has no interest in any 'help' from the gangs thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm here to have a drink."

"Now see, that's where we have a bit of a problem, old buddy. Cause we got - "

"He said get lost, so get lost, Rowe!" Kayden growled. She twisted and fixed the grunt with a glare.

Rowe looked to her and blinked, his eyes narrowing. "This isn't any of your concern lady. Imma just talking to my friend here."

"No, you're disturbing my evening. Get out and don't come back. While you're at it, leave the man be from now on."

"I don't know who you think you are, bitch, but you don't know who you're mouthing off to."

Kayden snarled, pushing off her seat. The halogen lights in the bar dimmed as she sucked in some of their energy, not enough to glow up, but enough to strengthen her. This entire day had been horrible and if this stupid little boy was going to volunteer to be a punching bag for her frustration then so be it!

She hadn't even taken two steps before the man Rowe had been harassing was in front of her, facing Rowe, his back to her. "Last chance to leave in one piece."

"Fuck you old man. This is _your_ last chance to - " Rowe cut off as the man's fist connected with his jaw. The thug spun around once before falling flat on the floor of the bar to soft claps from the surrounding patrons.

The man shook out his fist and turned to Kayden. "I'm sorry about that, Miss. Thank you for the support, but you shouldn't have had to get involved. He's part of the Empire and they're trying to muscle in on my work. I had it handled."

"Apparently," Kayden said, snorting. Rowe groaned, still splayed out on the floor. "Knocking out one of the grunts isn't generally the best option though."

He rubbed his knuckles and grimaced. "Yeah…Well this one made some snide threatening comments about my daughter earlier too. He's lucky I didn't kill him. If anyone touches my little girl I will burn the entire gang to the ground. There may not be much good left in Brockton these days, but protecting my daughter is something I will _always_ care about."

Kayden smiled, laying a hand over her stomach. Something she would never have…"I can definitely understand that. Buy me a drink and tell me about her?"

He blushed and nodded. "Odd way to start a bar conversation, but okay, if you want to talk about Taylor, I can do that. I'm Danny."

"Nice to meet you, Danny. I'm Kayden," she said, smiling. "I don't really want to talk about me at the moment; things haven't exactly gone the way I planned lately. So I'd love to talk about you and since you love your daughter, it seems like talking about her would be a good way to start, yeah?"

Chuckling he nodded. "Well when you put it like that, I have to agree. You're probably pretty interesting yourself though. Not many people in Brockton Bay would step in to defend others."

"Oh don't be so quick to ascribe altruistic motives," Kayden sighed. "Just give me a moment to make sure that this little shit doesn't harass you or your little girl anymore. Then we can talk and I can try to stop you from running for the hills."

She tried to ignore the way his eyes narrowed slightly at her words. Instead, she squatted besides Rowe and grabbed his hair pulling his head up so that he could stare into her eyes as he groaned again. Waiting until he focused on her, she nodded once to him. "Do I have your attention now, Marcus? Good. My name is Kayden Anders. I'm not in your gang's power structure anymore, but you should still recognize my name. Do you?" The tiny man swallowed, a small shudder running through his body. "Good. Now, just because I'm done with the Empire, that doesn't mean I'm leaving the city. So, you're going to leave Mr.…" She paused and looked to the side.

Danny frowned, but took his cue. "Hebert."

"You're going to leave Mr. Hebert, his daughter, his entire work organization alone. If you have an issue with that you can tell your boss to come and talk to _me_. Got it?"

Rowe hurriedly nodded as best he could with his hair still held in her grip. Smiling, she patted his cheek with her free hand and let go, making sure that his face fell back into the floor, nose first. She stood, and walked over to sit next to Danny, a small sad smile crossing her face as he stared at her, a wary distance in his previously open gaze.

"You're Empire too?"

"Formerly. I was…married in. We've been having differences of opinions for awhile now and…I'm trying to do better. My ex-husband didn't like that and he liked even less that I couldn't have kids for him. I'm making my own path now."

Danny slowly nodded. "Perhaps I'd better get those drinks. I feel like this is going to be a much longer conversation than I had expected…"

"I'd…like that. I'd like that very much."

* * *

Purity forced the memories down as she flew through the streets of the city. She didn't want to think of what had been or what she was going to find when she got to the Dockworkers office, she just wanted to _get there_. She hadn't traveled this fast since she'd triggered. She hadn't ever _needed_ to travel this fast. Why couldn't he have picked up his _fucking phone_? Why couldn't the news have kept the two of them _off their goddamn report_?!

"… _information reportedly provided by the new fiance of Kaiser's estranged ex-wife…"_

Purity's teeth gnashed even as she banked back towards the ground. There was no possible way that Max believed that horseshit. Even if he'd managed to convince himself that she'd told Danny about the connection between Kaiser and Max Anders, he'd never be idiotic enough to think that Danny would go the fucking _news_ with that information! But Max _was_ smart enough to realize that his future in Brockton Bay was over. He'd be leaving, heading to the Gesellschaft for relocation and assistance.

And he'd be burning all of his bridges behind him like the spiteful little man he was. He'd be aiming to hurt her for daring to leave him. With nothing left to lose he'd show his true colors. He'd go for Danny and bank on the fact that he could get away before she found him to retaliate. He wouldn't go for Taylor, not with her being a cape. The Gesellschaft wouldn't overlook that sort of thing, even if they wouldn't bat an eye at him 'cleaning up his house' on his way out the door.

She forced more speed. It was too dark and she was burning through her power, but it didn't matter. She just needed to get to the docks.

Goddammit Danny! Why did he have to be a good man _tonight_?! Why did he have to dally for so _long_?! Letting her talk to Taylor was one thing, but whittling away this much time in this type of city was moronic! She could kill him herself for doing this!

Crashing, explosions, and metallic clangs rang through the night as Kayden swooped through the last block separating her from her target. She reached for even more speed. There was already a fight. Who was fighting? _Who was fighting?!_

She crested the final barricade and rocketed into the small clearing between the DWA building and the surrounding block. Hookwolf was already there standing in the middle of the clearing wrestling with a gigantic gorilla, the gorilla taking little notice of the blades biting into its hide. There was a large, heavy sandbag a short ways behind Hookwolf, resting against the side of the building. Another masked man was across the clearing holding a bag of metallic ball bearings that he seemed to be firing randomly into Hookwolf's mass. Not that that would do likely anything; without hitting Hookwolf's core it was useless.

Purity's eyes narrowed, her gaze centering on Hookwolf, the blood on his blades visible even during his clash with the ape. Danny was nowhere in sight. Purity screamed, bringing her hands forward and unleashing her pain.

The beam shot out, the double helix spiraling into Hookwolf. The bladed wolf roared and bent sideways, trying to twist out of the way of her rage, but Purity just followed him, burning through the layers surrounding his core as she drove forward. Hookwolf twisted again, more and more of him melting under her onslaught even as he shifted his mass to throw material into her path. He managed to angle himself to get the gorilla into the way, but she didn't care. The gorilla popped as her beam momentarily flashed through it - a projection then, good to know - and then her attack was centered back on Hookwolf again.

There was almost no metal left on Hookwolf as Purity finally let the light stop. She ignored the other cape present as she dropped down next to the panting, burned man curled into a ball on the ground. She grabbed Hookwolf by the throat, her hand blazing bright as she forced him to look at her. "Where. Is. My. Fiance?"

"I…Don't…Know…"

" _WHERE_?!"

"Don't know…" Hookwolf choked out, her hand starting to burn him again.

"Did you kill him?"

"He tried to."

Purity snapped her head to the side, glaring at the teenager who walked up to her, his hands spread wide. "Easy, easy now. Just gonna answer your question crazy lady."

"Talk fast," Kayden growled.

The boy nodded. "We got a tip, our boss said he had heard there might be trouble so he asked us to come check things out. Found this cape about to spear some man through the chest. Our leader teleported the guy out, though not before he got a bit hurt. We've been fighting this fucker ever since. He's Hookwolf right? He's…really hard to put down. You made it look easy…"

Purity's eyes narrowed to slits. "Who the hell are you that you don't know who _Hookwolf_ is?"

"We're new in town. We're the Travelers. I'm Ballistic, the gorilla was Genesis. Our leader is Trickster, that's who teleported your man out. They're about a block that way with one of our other members. If you want to head over there he can answer more questions."

Purity turned back to Hookwolf. Her lip curled as she stared down at the murdering thug. "You were going to kill my fiance."

Hookwolf grinned up at her and let out a watery chuckle. "Fuck. You. Bitch."

"No. Fuck you." Her hand blazed bright, and what was left of Hookwolf vanished beneath her.

Her lip curling into a snarl, she stood and glared at Ballistic. He had taken several large steps back from the smoking crater and was breathing hard. "Show me where my fiance is."

* * *

Mars - Sundancer, it was _Sundancer_ , why did she _still_ have problems with that - shifted her weight from knee to knee. Staring down the road at the large Fuck Off Beam that was still drilling into the ground, she swallowed again trying to hum to herself to avoid thinking about what that meant.

"Jeez, people in this city don't do shit by halves do they," Trickster muttered, one foot on the roof edge as he stared at the growing destruction.

"I think we should go," Sundancer murmured. The guy she was holding up groaned. She pressed the bloody bandage against his shoulder harder eliciting a gasp. "It's not safe here."

"Ballistic is still down there. Can't go yet. Besides, job's not done."

"I _really_ don't like this, Trickster. We should _go_."

"Just keep the civ from bleeding out and let me think." He started pacing back and forth, shaking his head. "I thought we'd have more time before having to do anything in costume. Who do you think that is there?"

"Purity! Of course it's fucking Purity! She's the only real true Blaster in the city! Am I the only one who actually does research?!"

"I thought New Wave had Blasters? Those open capes, it could be them couldn't it?"

"They have mini lasers, you ass," Sundancer snapped. "Laserdream's are stronger, but nothing like _that_. Purity is a loose cannon and if she knows this guy and sees us like this and thinks the wrong thing we are _dead_! We need to _go_."

Trickster stopped and turned to her grinning. "Wait this is perfect! We're supposed to talk to Purity! Either Purity or the new healer girl, Hardedge or something."

"Hard _light_. It's Hard _light_!"

"That's it." He snapped his fingers and nodded. "Great, she'll deal with Hookwolf, then Ballistic will show her to us and I give her the pitch and we can all go our separate ways. Easy job, easy money, easy favor owed."

Sundancer glared at him. "All you ever think about is _her_. You don't give a shit about any of the rest of us at all do you?"

"Hey I keep us together, I keep us safe!"

"Only because you need us to help you take care of _her_. She won't even talk to us anymore, only you. Does she even want to keep living anymore? Or are you just lying to us and keeping her alive because you're a twisted fuck that can't bear to let her die like she wants?"

Trickster stiffened, and turned to slowly center his gaze on her. "Careful, Dancer."

"Or what? You'll feed me to Accord too like you did with Perdition?"

"Shut up or - "

"Where is my fiance?" Trickster's mouth snapped closed and Sundancer's breath caught in her throat as she turned to stare up at the radiant, floating woman hovering above her.

Trickster rallied and smiled, gesturing behind him with a small bow. "Right here, Ma'am. At least, I assume this is the man you're referring to."

Before Trickster could continue speaking, Purity flew past him and landed beside Sundancer. She dropped to her knees and laid her hands on the man, drawing another groan from him. Pulling him into her lap, she murmured into his ear completely ignoring Sundancer. Mars was only too happy to scramble away from the woman.

"Our employer sends his regards. He received a tip from a Thinker that there would be trouble here tonight and he wishes to offer his assistance as a sign of goodwill. He realizes that you are attempting to turn over a new leaf and he is perfectly happy to assist with that. He advises that he can provide information on both Empire Eighty Eight and Azn Bad Boys activities. He can also assist in ensuring that Rune is removed from her current associations and provided alternate employment without prosecution, if that is something you and Hardlight request. All he asks in return, is to leave his operations alone for the time being. He simply wishes to clean up the city in his own way and then he will leave. He is labeled a villain more because he is willing to make the hard choices and do what needs to be done, instead of playing by the rules that the PRT is stuck following. He has no interest in ruling the underground, he merely wants the other gang lords gone."

"You're working for Coil." Purity's voice was soft.

"Yes, Madame, we are," Trickster said with another small bow. "My team may be separately contacting you later, outside of our employer's interests. One of our teammates requires healing you see, and considering we just saved your fiance, I figure it wouldn't be too much to ask for the help of your associate Hardlight in return."

Purity snarled. "I have been doing this longer than you have been _alive_ , child! If you think I believe that crock of shit for a _second_ then you're delusional. Thank you for saving my fiance. Now _get away from my family_."

"Yes, Ma'am, right Ma'am, we're leaving, Ma'am," Sundancer said, nodding as quickly as she could. Standing, she grabbed Trickster's arm. "Let's _go_!"

Trickster ground his teeth and nodded. As he looked to the street for something to swap them with, she heard Purity mutter, "Now, I just need to find Hardlight to get this healed…" Then she was on the street, a mailbox up next to Trickster. A moment later he was beside her again.

"Guys! Hey, over here!" Sundancer looked to the left and saw Ballistic running towards them waving. He stopped next to her, his arms crossed. "Crazy lady gone? Can we head back yet? We've been in town for like five hours and I already hate this place."

"Well, she - " Trickster cut off as a streak of light flew off the roof above them, heading down the street. If Sundancer squinted, she could just barely make out the man held in Purity's arms. "Yeah, she's gone. Let's get back to the base."

Ballistic nodded as the trio started to walk away. "Trickster, for the record, this new boss? He fucking sucks. There had to be better ways to get a favor from a healer than dealing with Miss Murdering Light Bulb."

"…Shut up."

* * *

"You're _sure_ they're healing him?" Hardlight asked for the fifth time. It was getting to be frustratingly annoying.

"Yes. We're sure. Your powers are very effective, Hardlight, even if they are somewhat slow." Emily said, for the fifth time. She hated teenagers.

"But that was a _deep_ stab…"

"And most of the internal damage is already healed. As the doctors have verified. Multiple times."

"Honey, he's going to be fine. He's going to be fine."

Emily shut her eyes and begged whatever god was listening for patience. Since when had Purity become the voice of reason? And she wasn't even the true voice of reason, if the vague reports of her actions at the DWA headquarters had any kernel of truth to them. At least there wasn't any video of _that_ this time. Having video evidence of the woman murdering a man in cold blood would certainly make any whitewashing of her actions…difficult. The PRT still needed to remain on good terms with her.

It didn't help that Emily would have done the exact same thing in Purity's shoes. And didn't that just _burn_.

"I just…" Hardlight gripped her arm and dropped her gaze to the floor. "He was having a _good_ day. Why would Kaiser do this?"

Purity scowled, her hand clenching into a fist. "To punish me. With his civilian identity shot and someone framing Danny for the leak, he's lost the city. He can't stay here and if he's going to leave then he's going to be a petty, spiteful, vindictive, little, fucking, _bastard_ on his way out the door."

"But shouldn't he go after me if he's burning things to the ground?" she whispered.

Emily shook her head. "Not if he knows you are a cape. He'd likely ask for assistance with a new identity from his backers in the Gesellschaft. Their politics are complicated, but what's understood is that they frown on attacking capes in their civilian identities. Your father is not a cape however, and since he 'supposedly' already blurred the lines by outing Kaiser, he's fair game. No one with one lick of sense believes it, but it's enough justification that Kaiser can show himself for the murderer he is while still staying in his backer's good graces."

"I wish I'd never gotten powers," Hardlight whispered.

Emily snorted and found herself nodding. Maybe the girl did have a good head on her shoulders after all. Turning to Purity she set her hands on the top of her cane. "We need to discuss what happens now. You were right to bring him here, but how do you expect this to go? We can't just completely ignore the events of this afternoon."

"I have no idea what you mean." Purity's poker face was impressive.

"Let's cut the bullshit, shall we?" Emily said. "You executed Hookwolf. I'm not saying you were wrong, he's evaded transport to the Birdcage twice and he's a murderer more times over than I can count, but you still executed him."

Purity scowled, her fist clenching tight again before she slowly flexed the muscles. "That monster tried to kill Danny."

"You could have taken him in alive at the end. We both know it."

"The city is safer without him."

The problem was, she was _right_. And with Kaiser about to run, the powder keg was going to ignite anyway. Emily sighed. "Let's be clear, Purity, I'm aware that if I put my foot down, you're still going to fly out of here and likely destroy half my city while going on your ensuing rampage. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to sit here, and we're going to discuss this like adults until we are each talked down to a point that neither of us is happy with, but we can both live with. I can't actually contain you, but you still want to have some sort of relationship with your daughter and future husband. So work with me in the spirit of compromise. If I let you walk out from this building, I need assurance that you aren't going to immediately go and kill all of your former associates. The Hookwolf situation, while bad, we can cover with a backdated kill order. His repeated Birdcage evasions made that simple enough. Going after anyone else distinctly _cannot_ be handwaved away. It would be vengeance and we would be forced to take action."

Purity met her gaze. "I can promise that I will not kill anyone who does not try to kill my daughter, my fiance, or I first. It would be self-defense in that case."

Emily scowled. There was a lot of leeway in that. "Kaiser."

"I make no promises either way. We both know they would be entirely empty. What I can say is that should the worst come to happen, it will not be your problem and he will be inviting it upon himself."

"That's not remotely good enough. Not by a long shot."

Hardlight looked up at that, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between the two. "I can promise something in my mother's stead."

"Honey - "

"No. Hear me out. This is what we'll agree to. We will attempt to arrest Kaiser. If he surrenders at any point, we _will_ arrest him and make sure he gets back to the Rig. If he tries to fight, whatever happens is on him. Purity is a Blaster 8. I don't know what my ratings are, but I'm guessing at least some of them are pretty high considering that any of my minions with sharp edges can bisect things and I can make a lot of them on command. Kaiser would have to be suicidal to fight both of us combined."

Emily considered that. It still wasn't ideal, but capes did die in regular fights and the girl wasn't wrong. Kaiser knew what type of capability Purity had. He had to know that if she fought him seriously, he'd never survive. He had already taken the first leap and made _sure_ that she fought him seriously. The real question was if anyone would find the bastard before he skipped town.

"Okay. I can agree with that. But we will take point. Purity, you can stay back in the wings in case reinforcement is needed or if he manages to slip away. Otherwise, I want you both to sit out this conflict. You're too close to the entire situation. Let us handle the Empire capes, unless they are actively coming after you."

"You're insane if you think that I'm not answering this. They tried to kill him! I am _not_ letting this go. And, just in case you forgot, we are _not_ part of your organization."

"That's true. What's also true is that the backdating of Hookwolf's Kill Order hasn't been signed off yet. You can do this my way and work with me or you can end up behind bars. Your choice."

"I'm willing to compromise, but you can't ask me to just sit back and twiddle my thumbs when they go after my family. That's inviting more retaliation - not just on me, but on every single other cape out there. This is another Fleur situation all over again."

Piggot glared. "There are a lot of innocent people who will be caught in the crossfire if you go out there looking for trouble."

"I'll leave Medhall alone and I will take extreme care with any blasts that I use. My daughter will be on hand to ensure that anyone hurt by the other capes will be healed and her projections can shield people in the meantime."

"Property damage is still an issue, Purity."

Purity nodded. "Yes, I'm aware. I'll restrict my activities to the warehouses that the Empire uses to store drugs or weapons. They are in mostly deserted areas of the city and the capes will undoubtedly try to defend those anyway, so we both get what we want."

Emily groaned. Why did capes have to be so goddamn _difficult_? "Provide the PRT and BBPD their addresses and WE will make those hits. We have the manpower to hit them at once, coordinating our raids, and preventing their escape. You can work in concert with the Protectorate personnel as a rapid response force, playing by our rules."

" _Fine_ ," Purity snapped.

Emily eyed one cape then other. "Will you agree to join the Protectorate and the Wards once this is done?"

Purity glanced at her daughter while Hardlight just looked at the floor. "I need to talk to my friend first. I…Can I think about it?"

Emily nodded once. "We'll discuss this again. Hardlight, you should know that if Rune is willing to agree to certain conditions, we are willing to offer her a probationary membership with the Wards. She will need to come forward before any actions in this coming shitstorm and she would have to rebrand, obviously, but it's been done before. I wanted you to be aware of that fact and you should be the one to pass this along to her."

Hardlight's eyes snapped up and she sucked in a breath, her hand squeezing tighter on her arm. "You'd let her in? Even though she was with the Empire?"

"We've taken people in similar situations before, plus its one less cape to fight on their side," Emily stated.

"I…I have to…Okay. Okay, I'll…talk to her. Thank you."

"We need all the help we can get in this city." Emily paused mentally flipping through her current roster. "When you leave, you'll go with Armsmaster and Assault."

"I thought we just agreed - "

Emily cut Purity off with a wave of her hand. "We agreed that you wouldn't be going about like a madwoman and getting yourself and your daughter into trouble that you can't get her out of. This is my insurance that you stick to that agreement." She sighed, shaking her head. "Purity, your partner was just attacked. You killed a man to save him. You're about to embark on a crusade against former friends and allies in what amounts to a vengeance crusade with just your daughter for backup. Take this for what it is. Assistance and legitimacy. All you have to do is moderate yourself. That's all I'm asking. I want to save this city. Help me do that and you help your family at the same time."

Purity shut her eyes and nodded. "Fine." Her voice was quiet, defeated, but it didn't matter. She agreed and that was all that was important.

"Good. Now, what are we going to do about Mr. Hebert here?"

Purity grimaced and stepped to the man's side, laying a hand on his arm and squeezing softly. "It's not safe for him in the city. Not until we finish getting rid of the Empire."

"What?" Hardlight squeaked. Nearly two dozen minions popped into the room, joining the one that was already sleeping on her father's stomach in the hospital bed. Emily glared at the one that latched onto her own leg. "There's going to be _more_ people trying to hurt him?!"

"It would be best if we moved all three of you to a new city," Emily grunted. She gave up on trying to shake the small white cherub off after she noticed that the entire room was crowded with the short things.

Purity shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere until Kaiser is dealt with as well as the rest of the Empire. I've let them get away with this shit for too long. I also want to know who framed Danny for this. I'm not leaving until I get answers."

"Hardlight?"

"I…Dad loves this city. Mom loved it too. And if my mother is staying, and my friend is here, I…I'm staying too. I'm going to help make this city someplace that Dad can be proud of."

"Dammit, that's what I was afraid of," Emily muttered. The warmth in her abdomen was disturbingly pleasant and she glared down at the cherub even harder. She had worked so _hard_ to avoid parahuman healing and now this idealistic healer was doing this shit without even bothering to _notice_. "Fine. We'll put Mr. Hebert into Protective Custody. Once the city is deemed safe, we'll consult with everyone involved and see if it is appropriate for him to return."

"Director," Purity said, turning to focus fully on Emily. "Before Danny leaves, there was one thing that we had wanted to complete."

There was alway 'one more thing' when dealing with capes. Emily scowled and waved the woman on.

"Well it was going to be a surprise, but this night has been rather awful and if we can get it done sooner rather than later…We were going to make our marriage official and then I was going to adopt Taylor. If she was okay with that, that is."

Emily blinked. That was not remotely what she had expected. She turned to the girl, who was just gaping at Purity.

"You…want to adopt me?"

"We were going to ask you tomorrow evening…Is that something that - "

"Yes."

Purity chuckled. "I haven't even finished asking, sweetheart."

"Yes."

Purity stepped forward, the minions parting like the Red Sea for her as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "I love you, Taylor."

"I love you too, Mom."


	18. Twilight 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Breaking format a bit for the first segment because it's not long enough for another interlude but the perspective was needed *shrug*.
> 
> Apologies for taking so long on this chapter. I have been fairly heavily distracted by RL recently. Anyway, enjoy!

**Twilight 01**

In his primary universe, Thomas Calvert nodded in accordance with the other personnel in the room. He made several notes on his pad and turned to listen as Piggot laid out her plan for the coming assault.

In his throwaway timeline, Thomas Calvert stood up, pulled his sidearm and fired three shots through the pompous bitch's head.

He dropped the timeline before Armsmaster could bifurcate him. It had been so incredibly satisfying, yet he could never be that blatant for real. If only. If _only_ things could be that easy.

His fist spasmed and his pen snapped, ink flowing over his hand. "No, no, it's fine, leave me be! I have an extra," he growled at the soldier that had stepped up to offer another writing implement. Scowling, he wiped at the ink with a spare sheet from the pad and pulled out a second pen. "Can't we at least get quality _tools_ in this facility?" he hissed. This was going to stain his suit.

"Are you quite finished, Calvert?" Piggot was glaring at him now. Her stare was as harsh and impenetrable as it had been when they were field agents. Her intimidation abilities had improved since then even while her health had failed. Except now, since yesterday, she no longer had the deathly pale pallor - so it was even _more_ effective than it had been in years.

Goddamn fucking _Hebert_ and her fucking _minions_!

In one universe Calvert got up and shot Piggot again. This time he made it through six rounds before he was killed. Maybe before the meeting was finished he'd find an opportunity to empty the entire _clip_ into dear old Emily's forehead.

"My apologies. We were discussing the makeup of the teams?"

At least _something_ was coming out of this utter disaster. The Empire was going to be completely destroyed before this was through, their power base wiped out nearly overnight. Tattletale's grand plan _would_ serve a purpose. He even tacitly approved of her release of Kaiser's identity. How she had managed to maneuver the timing of it was truly masterful and if he didn't know better he'd suspect she knew his secret.

She didn't of course. He'd been quite…thorough in his questioning.

Thankfully, he'd been able to manipulate the news coverage to muddy the waters enough that her trail didn't lead _directly_ to him anymore. Pointing the finger at Daniel Hebert had been a calculated risk, yet if Purity had just taken the bait and gone on her normal rampage everything would have been _fine_. It would have been _perfect_. She would have decimated the majority of the Empire capes in one fell swoop and gone home, never being the wiser about the real threat. The Empire Eighty Eight would have died in glorious hellfire due to the overreaction from a perceived threat to her brood. It was perfectly within character and it was expected. The slightest provocation should have lit that fuse and nothing would have ever traced back to himself no matter what traps his pet had set.

But the bitch refused to attack! _NOTHING FORCED HER HAND_! Not quickly enough. So many timelines wasted while time ticked away. His pet would never have just thrown Kaiser into the wind without a backup plan. Operating against an unknown, and swiftly closing, window of time…it wasn't enough…

Thomas Calvert was in his element in the boardroom setting with lackeys shoveling his paperwork. Coil was in his element behind a desk with marionettes dancing at his fingers. Neither of his selves remotely enjoyed playing impromptu speed chess thanks to unruly thralls.

He'd had to take too many large steps in order to stay ahead of the clock. And he was going to make _sure_ those sacrifices were _worth_ it!

"We need to focus our efforts on these targets. We believe that the heaviest resistance will come around these two storehouses. They house the majority of the weapons and drugs respectively."

He was going to ensure the Empire was a non-entity after this. It would just be the ABB and the Travelers. He'd use the Undersiders to destroy the Merchants and let the Merchants destroy them in return.

All of this chaos, because his pet refused to stay at his heel. And worse, the racist dwarf was growing a conscience. And even _worse_ , her pathetic, idiotic, _excuse_ of a man _would not go home_! All his plans had crumbled thanks to one stupid, depressed, little _cretin_ that couldn't even keep his own disorder as a disorder!

What was infuriating was that simply letting Daniel Hebert die had led to destruction far too excessive for his approval. There was no point in ruling over a city in ruins. The two times he had tried letting the Undersiders enact a 'rescue' were almost worse. The little bitch had managed to fully slip her reins once she was within a few feet of either Purity, Hardlight, or Rune. It was _infuriating_. At least 'Coil' had remained uncompromised when Brockton Bay was burning.

Beautiful flames were infinitely preferable to a tide of projections storming his base or Purity's beams incinerating him.

Leaving _Trickster_ of all people to shoulder the most _ideal_ timeline was _embarrassing_.

He'd have to devise a suitable punishment for Tattletale. Keeping his pet leashed was more trouble than it was worth. Something was going to have to be done - and soon. With this amount of trouble…it almost didn't even matter if she remained useful. She just needed to be conscious enough to _hurt_.

"Calvert! Am I boring you? Does the PRT need to revisit your consultant contract?"

He made it through 8 rounds in the clip this time before he was forced to divest himself of that timeline.

"I was trying to run the figures for you Director," he said, bowing his head. "I believe if we shift Miss Militia and Clockblocker to Team 3 and move Aegis and Vista to Team 1, the odds of success should increase by a noticeable factor." And it would further lower the chance of Hebert running into Rune by accident during this coming war. He _could not_ let that little lesbian Nazi slip away to the PRT. All he had to do was _get to her first_. It should be _easy_. It should be _simple_. She was _his_ for the _taking_!

"Armsmaster, comments?"

"If there are any sightings of Rune during the fighting, unless she is actively hostile, attempt to disengage and call for Hardlight or Purity. We are nearly certain that she can be flipped; and every cape we can convince to switch sides from the Empire is worth double at this moment."

He managed 10 shots this time.

* * *

I fidgeted as I played with the edges of my cape. Maybe I should go back to a trenchcoat? The cape was only ever intended to be temporary after all…

Sitting in a troop transport was inherently boring, yet this was honestly better than I had expected things to be. When all of the adults had started arguing I was concerned they were going to force me to stay behind originally, yet Kayden had put her foot down and insisted. This was good. I'd be able to help. We were just attacking a warehouse anyway, how bad could it be?

And besides, if things got really dangerous…well I had been practicing with the Overlay minion. It still wasn't _pleasant_ , but at least I didn't feel like I had to constantly sneeze or scratch at my skin anymore.

"You alright, kid?" Assault asked.

"Just debating the advantages of coats over capes."

Assault stared at me, his finger raised and his mouth half opened. Slowly he lowered his finger back down and shook her head. "I actually cannot think of a single good comeback to that. Not one that is clean, not one that is dirty, not even one that is simply an amusing double-entendre. I must be losing my touch. There's a perfect opening in there, I just know it. Why can't I see it?"

Armsmaster sighed. "Must you do this every mission?"

"Banter is good, Halbeard. It's an excellent tool to keep everyone's minds off of the myriad things that could happen; especially the newer folk." He nodded towards me and I rolled my eyes. I wasn't exactly new anymore. I liked to think I lost that title after I no-sold Oni Lee.

"We should be reviewing our strategy."

"Not much of a strategy," Assault shrugged. "Get in, bounce around, beat up the gangers, arrest them, get out. Fight any capes that show their faces."

"If you let me send in my minions first, you wouldn't have to fight nearly as many," I said.

"Yes, but you're supposed to be emergency backup rather than front line. Just like we talked about, kid, fill in as needed when needed. You're versatile, play to those strengths. "

My earpiece squawked just as the van turned a corner. "Armsmaster, I have a visual on the twins. They are protecting this facility just like I thought. If the other teams aren't in position, it's not going to matter in a moment: your car is coming up on their sight line."

Armsmaster looked down, tapped his vambrace and spoke, "Teams 2 through 9 are a go. I repeat, Teams 2 through 9 are a go. Purity, engage Valkyries at will."

"Moving in. Watch over Hardlight for me."

"I _can_ take care of myself," I muttered. All the same I glanced up to Armsmaster and met his - well not his eyes, but his visor. He didn't so much nod as incline his head slightly. He also tapped a small compartment on his left gauntlet. We had discussed it before I got in the van. There was nothing that was going to happen today that would trigger anything. I didn't expect to need it. Even if I did end up needing it, I didn't expect to need him to give it to me. I was perfectly fine on my own.

I could handle my own panic attacks. I didn't _need_ a backup.

Still…it was nice to know I _had_ one.

* * *

One day I would figure out how blasts of pure light could create explosions and the world's understanding of physics would improve by leaps and bounds. I suppose Purity's blasts made a bit more sense than Legend's lasers at least…90 degree homing lasers? _Really_? Whatever gave us all these powers must have either made love to Cthulhu or insulted Reality so badly that the Lady just gave a middle finger in response and walked away.

I wasn't even sure if Purity's battle could be called a real 'fight' with how one-sided it was. Fenja and Menja were strong and their damage reduction was nothing to sneer at, but they just weren't able to measure up. My mother was flying rings around the two and her near constant laser blasts were starting to cause accumulated actual damage. Both of the twins were bleeding and they were getting slower. It had only been five minutes since the fight started too and they were already almost out for the count. I was impressed that they had stayed near the warehouse through the constant barrage. They must really want to protect this place.

Well too bad for them that Armsmaster and the PRT were currently sweeping their way through the facility, arresting everyone. My minions were following along with them, destroying gun stockpiles as we came upon them along with ramming their pointy sword arms into safes and vaults to smash the things open. I wasn't getting enough info from them to be able to direct them without the camera feed from the soldiers so their numbers were limited while I stayed in the van, but it was working well so far.

Assault was easier to help with; him I could actually see. Continually refreshing my minions as they died to Crusader's ghosts was getting supremely _annoying_ , but it was simple enough. Assault was doing pretty well against Cricket too. I winced as her blade slashed out at him again. Christ the woman was vicious. If that had been anyone else out there, that would have opened half his chest.

Well, anyone but Aegis, or Glory Girl, or the power armored capes, or…Okay, so maybe Cricket wasn't quite as bad as I initially thought. That only really held up if she switched to less lethal weapons against less squishy targets though. I mean, _I_ wasn't sending my Swordmasters to slice into her was I? Nope, I was sticking to safes and ghosts and threatening displays.

I sighed and sent another minion on a suicide charge into yet _another_ ghost. Where the hell _was_ this jerk?

"Armsmaster, none of the drones are returning anything for Crusader," I snapped, a scowl spreading over my face as I flipped to a different display on the datapad in my hands. "This visual field is too small. I'm requesting permission to go out there directly!"

"Are you still able to hold the tide, Hardlight?"

"Yes, I can counter him fine, but I'm not able to do much else at the moment. I don't have a good enough sight line or a close enough distance to send a random roamer pack of minions out and even if I did, if they got close he'd kill them and I wouldn't be able to refresh them fast enough to get them back to the right spot before he moved. I need to get closer!"

"Negative."

"I can help! We can capture him here!"

"Hardlight you are a minor in a warzone, and your family already has a target on their back. _Stay in the van_!"

"But - "

"I am almost finished ensuring the building is clear. Once we're assured there aren't any surprises waiting I'll be joining Assault and we can - " The line cut off in a grunt and an exclamation from one of the troopers.

My eyes widening, I snapped my gaze to the correct monitor. Snarling, I sent one of the Swordmasters into a leaping dive. It caught the edge of a blade of air thrown out by Stormtiger, the form flickered, yet held. It didn't hold against the second blast right behind the first, the minion popping as it was struck again. It was still enough time for the trooper to lunge to the side and escape the rest of the weaponized wind. If that attack was strong enough to pop my minion, it likely would have bisected that man.

Stormtiger looked like he had jumped down from the final office just as we got near. His first attack had knocked Armsmaster to the side while his second had scattered the agents. His third and fourth were the ones that had nearly killed that guy behind my minion.

As Armsmaster levered himself to his feet, several of the PRT members had already tried to level containment foam guns towards Stormtiger. The sprays were quickly redirected around him however, leaving three of the agents trapped in their own foam and the rest diving for cover again. I sent two minions to attack him at the same time that Armsmaster lunged, halberd first.

"Hardlight, support the PRT!" Armsmaster ordered. His halberd crackled with electricity as he swung in towards Stormtiger.

I nodded, realizing half a second later that he couldn't see it.

"I have Swordmasters watching their backs. My visual isn't good enough to directly assist you, but the two minions with you are on autopilot now. If you need specific behavior shout and I can adjust."

He didn't fully reply but I heard a grunt of acknowledgement.

And then my attention was grabbed by a commotion on the street outside.

"Get that fucking piece of rock down here right now dyke, or I will gut you myself!"

"You can fly! Come up to me, asswipe!"

My eyes narrowed to slits as I searched the skies for Rune. She had to be close if I could hear her. Where was she? Where _was_ she?

"The little bitch and the limp dick are keeping me pinned! Pick me up right now, Rune! Get! Down! _Here_!"

Assault kicked at Cricket, finally managing to just barely clip her. Even the glancing blow was enough, it sent her rocketing away into a brick wall, against which she promptly crumpled to the ground upon impact. Turning to the sky, Assault cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Rune! We can help, you don't have to listen to them!"

"Armsmaster, are you and the PRT okay if I pull the minions back? I need to swap types."

He grunted. The PRT team lead responded instead, her voice jumping onto the network. "Stormtiger is nearly pinned, Hardlight, and most other resistance has already been pacified. You're good to withdraw, we'll support Armsmaster ourselves from here."

I popped the minions and jumped out of the van, landing on my new Pegasus. I pulled out 6 more and sent them to surround Assault, ensuring that Crusader couldn't try to attack him while I was distracted. Then my mount kicked the ground and we soared into the air.

There was no way the incredibly tiny wings on this unicorn would be able to actually support flight, but I was growing increasingly convinced that a great deal of what my minions could do was related to what I _thought_ they could do. Did I think a warden could heal? Then it could heal. Did I think a Throne could hover? Then it could hover. I'd have to explore this mental belief thing whenever the city calmed down.

I pulled the Pegasus to a stop in midair next to Rune's platform. She was kneeling on a large chunk of concrete, her head bowed, her hand on the floating chunk below her covering the center of the signature of her power. She didn't even seem to notice I was there. I heaved a sigh. Getting my Pegasus to neigh would've been awesome and oh so dramatic. Why couldn't my projections speak?

"Rune?"

She jerked to the side, nearly falling over as she scrambled to face me, her hood snapping up. That had to have some tinker tech in it, there was no way a simple hood would stop people from looking at the face underneath, especially in broad daylight, yet I couldn't see anything except a vague impression of hair and a blob that might have been her face.

"Hardlight! You're - you can't be up here! Crusader - "

"Is being managed. I'm a hard counter for him. I can't use as many Pegasi as other minions, but their horns are just as sharp as my Swordmasters swords so they can kill his ghosts all the same."

"Uh, I don't think the flying horses had horns in the myth…"

I rolled my eyes and lifted my hands in exasperation. "Of course they didn't! I'm not summoning an actual Pegasus, Tammi! I'm making a damn flying horse with a modicum of combat capabilities so I don't have to touch down to keep fighting!"

"Oh…Yeah, that…That makes sense. Taylor, nothing's changed…I have to…"

"Fuck that! You don't have to do anything!" I pulled out two more Pegasi and sent them down to suicide against Crusader's attackers that were lunging towards us. "That asshole was just threatening you, Tammi! Come with me instead. All you've done since I've met you was complain about and curse the Empire. You're not even actually helping them now. Stop pretending like you don't want this and come with me!"

"I…I _can't_ ," She dropped to one knee shaking her head and wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't go back!"

"You don't have to, I promise!" I kicked my Pegagus and it flew closer. Four more minions were dispatched to pacify Crusader. I caught sight of Assault rushing towards a nearby building below me and I made sure that the minions surrounding him knew to follow along and protect him no matter what. "Tammi, listen to me. The PRT isn't going to send you back to jail. They're willing to work with you. They'll give a second chance, a place on their team. You'll have to change your cape name obviously and probably get a new uniform, but leaving the Empire doesn't have to mean going back to your personal hell."

She looked up at me. I was close enough to hear her breath hitch now as she started to speak. She had to try twice more before she could get the words out. "You can't know that for sure."

"Director Piggot herself told me and Kayden. I have a signed letter in my bag in the van."

Tammi shook her head. "I know what happens to people who go to the Protectorate. The Empire talked about it all the time. No one ever sees them again. They disappear. It's pretty words for a gilded trap."

I scowled. Fucking Empire and their fucking poison. "Tammi, they _lied_. They lied to make it even less likely that you would run away to someone else."

"No that's…I _saw_ it happen! I know I saw it happen." She shook her head hard enough that if her hood hadn't been clipped it would've flown off her head. "Madcap! He broke people out of Birdcage transports. I think we even contracted him once. The Protectorate caught up to him and he just _vanished_! I don't even know what his power was, besides being really fucking strong and bulletproof, but I _know_ he never showed up anywhere else!"

I blinked. Well that was a nice coincidence, but…Could I blab something like that?

"Assault," I muttered.

"Kinda busy, kid," he grunted back. I heard crashing over the line before the mike switched back off.

"Real quick then: Rune is saying Madcap disappeared and is worried the Protectorate is going to make her disappear the same way."

There was a brief series of swears before Assault came back. "If there is any other way to talk her down, I'd really appreciate it, kid. If you absolutely have to, go for the nuke. I'll deal with the fallout later."

"Understood. Do you need more minions? I can tell two have died."

"Got it covered. Hey Crusader! Duck fucker!"

The line cut off again and I turned back to Tammi. Flying closer to her, I reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Tammi, I have proof that you're being paranoid and that they've lied to you. I can't really say because it's not my secret to share. But if you really don't trust the PRT then how about a compromise?"

"What sort of compromise is there, Taylor? I'm either a villain or I'm _gone_." Her voice cracked and I had to bite my tongue to avoid jumping off of the Pegasus.

"If you don't feel safe joining the Wards, how about you join me and Purity?"

"What? But you're - I mean, you're with _them_."

"No, we're not. We work beside the PRT yeah, but I'm _not_ a Ward and Kayden isn't in the Protectorate. We're Independents."

"I…I don't…"

My Pegasus folded its legs so that I was at eye level with her. "Tammi, you said the other day that you were going to fight for me. But that's not a battle that has any competitors. So don't fight _for_ me. Fight _with_ me."

She stared at me, and despite the haze inside her hood I knew I was meeting her gaze. A shudder ran through her body and the entire platform rumbled along with her. I gripped her arm harder.

"Okay."


	19. Twilight 02

**Twilight 02**

"This really isn't what we had intended," Armsmaster said. The frown on his face was approaching scowl territory though it hadn't quite made it that far yet. For once I was glad that his helmet concealed most of the rest of his face. The rigid stance and his (presumably) white-knuckled grip on his halberd already gave me info about his mood. Internally I cringed, though externally, I just folded my arms and planted myself in front of Rune.

Purity gestured towards Rune from her spot between us and Armsmaster. "And yet it still fits the PRT objectives for getting Rune away from the Empire Eighty-Eight doesn't it? Let's just call this a win and be done with it."

"Yes, that was the core intent, and I am extremely appreciative that she is no longer hostile."

"I am right here," Rune grumbled.

"Yet it still doesn't change that, until a few minutes ago, she was a villain. Probationary Ward agreements are vetted and approved through Legal for a reason. There are many hurdles that have to be cleared in order to be acceptable; both for the larger Protectorate organization and the public as a whole. Bringing on simple thieves is simple; clearing attempted murderers is exceptionally different. I am not aware of the entirety of Rune's file, but we are all aware of one of the most important aspects: her Empire associations. We were prepared to deal with that in several ways, depending on her preferences. And if she is not intending to join with the Wards, that becomes exceedingly difficult and the options narrow to an absurd degree."

Purity nodded. "But there _are_ still options. Correct?"

Armsmaster signed. "I am ambitious. This is not a secret. However, I am not good with people and it has hampered my goals. The Empire _is_ good with Public Relations, it's a large part of why they have survived for so long, why they have thrived. PR is important - no matter how much we all despise it. You of all people should be aware of the necessity of optics. You have been trying for months, possibly years, to improve your image, to move away from your past. Yet only in the past few weeks, because of your efforts with Hardlight, has there been any success. The PRT is _good_ at optics. _You_ are _not_."

"Rune's already agreed to rebrand, and I'll replace her costume, if that helps at all," I said.

Armsmaster's frown lightened as he glanced towards me, then shifted his gaze to Rune. "You aren't intending to keep your moniker by staying with Purity and Hardlight?"

She shook her head. "No. I just don't trust you not to disappear me. But I trust her."

"We would never - " he growled and his hand clenched tighter on his halberd. "I'm not dealing with this. This is not my department, this is not my field, this not my fight. If you want to stay with Purity and Hardlight, _fine_. While your identity may be unknown, theirs is not. Be aware that the PRT is likely to push for checkups to ensure that you are actually remaining heroic and have not slipped into old habits. I don't know how that would work, but again, not my department. Also be aware that while we will not actively look for your civilian identity, your association with Hardlight is well known to us, so we are quite likely to become aware of who you are in short order by simple association. If you joined the Wards, this would be a moot point, but you are not, so you need to know in order to ensure you don't take offense. If you _do_ take offense, then that is your own fault for being foolish about something obvious. Is everything understood?"

Rune stared at him. After a moment, she nodded. "You are not what I expected."

He sighed again and shook his head. "Yes, I get that often. If you change your mind, please come see us. Hardlight, thank you for your assistance today. Assault passes along his thanks as well - both for the help and for something he referred to as 'the cat in the bag'. I don't want to know what he is referring to."

I snorted. "It's actually tame. If anyone was hurt in the other teams and Panacea is still taking time off, please let me know."

"We will. Purity, your assistance with Fenja and Menja was also appreciated. With all five capes here captured, plus one defector, we've dealt a decent blow to the Empire today. We'll contact you once we're ready to move against Kaiser and the remainder."

"I appreciate that." Purity bit her lip as she glanced to the side. I doubted anyone else could see it though with how bright she was still glowing. "There are no capes at any of the other locations?"

"Alabaster was spotted at the secondary target, however he peeled off as soon as you began your attack. Our assumption was that he was going to come and back up the present forces. He may have arrived too late and decided to fall back instead."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was expecting, especially with Cricket here. He was a bit on her, and they worked together a lot with Hookwolf and Stormtiger."

"I recommend caution concerning your family until this is resolved. While Cricket is usually the more lethal of the group, now that Hookwolf is dead and she and Stormtiger are both captured, Alabaster may well escalate."

"He will," Rune said, scowling. "Fucker likes to hurt people. He's not as bad as Hookwolf was, and he's not as batshit as Cricket, but he's still a sadist. He used to like to beat up those of us who didn't seem to be 'pulling our weight'. We'll be careful."

"I'll see if the PRT can station plain-clothes nearby if that's acceptable."

Purity nodded. "Yes, that's fine. When my husband gets home I would very much like our house to still be standing. While I'm sure the three of us could deal with a direct attack, without backup we'd probably end up destroying our home."

"Wait, am I living with you now?" Rune asked, snapping her head to the side.

"Well you can't exactly go home. Until we get you an apartment, yes, I imagine you would be living with us."

"Oh. Um. Okay. I mean, yeah I can't exactly go back and live with my cousin anymore…Victor would probably kill me now at this point…This is going to be awkward."

I blushed, trying not to think of the full implications of that. "It'll be like a sleepover. I haven't really had a sleepover in years so um, I'm not the best at that and, well I could um, I mean we could…"

Armsmaster grunted. "I'll leave you all to it. Purity, get the teenagers off the street before the Empire strikes back."

He started to walk away as Rune and I just goggled at his back. "No. No way was that intentional…"

"No way was what intentional?" Purity asked.

I stared at her instead, my eyes as wide as saucers.

"Dude, you need to give your stepmom a pop culture education."

* * *

How we made it back to the house without further incident I had no idea, but I was grateful all the same. As the front door shut behind Kayden I pretty much just collapsed onto the sofa. I knew it would probably only be a few hours, a day or two at most before we moved against Kaiser, but I was going to take the chance to relax while it was available.

"You're really sure I can stay here?" Tammi's voice drifted towards me from the kitchen.

"It's not a problem. I'll get extra sheets out and we can make up the couch. I might have an air mattress in the basement instead, but I'm not entirely certain. That is my husband's territory."

Dad. He would've been home by now if this day had been normal. He wouldn't likely be _doing_ anything…But I still would've been able to hear him as he shuffled around his room, or he'd be on his armchair pretending to watch TV, or he'd…

I rolled over, facing the back of the couch and curled up around one of my puppies, shutting my eyes. Dad was fine. He was somewhere safe, and he was _fine_. The PRT would watch out for him.

Would they make sure he took his medicine? I didn't even make sure he took his medicine. Was that why his good days were so inconsistent? Was it my fault? If I had tried harder to not get so angry with him being distant would it have helped? But he got hurt on a good day. Would that just make him even _less_ likely to want to get better?

"Taylor? Are you okay?"

I just hugged the puppy harder and screwed my eyes shut. The hand on my shoulder wasn't important. Dad was important. And Dad wasn't here, and he wasn't going to be here, and it was my fault, and I wasn't even allowed to know where he _was_ because if _they_ caught me then they could find out, and -

"Kayden! Can you come in here please? Like _now_!"

"There's no need to shout, I'm right - oh damn. Budge over." Hands pulled me away from the back of the couch. I just buried my head into the soft, pliant 'fur' under me. "Taylor, sweetheart, I need to focus on your breathing, okay? Can you do that for me? Take deep breaths; in…and out…in…and out."

When I had started panting? Did it matter? It should matter. Did it matter more than the fact that the house was empty when we got home? Did it matter more than Dad and Kayden doing a two minute ceremony in a hospital room officiated by _Dauntless_ of all people? They were supposed to have a _real_ wedding! Now Dad was gone to the wind and I was alone _again_ and Kaiser hadn't even shown up so the person responsible was _getting away with it_!

"Taylor, you're hyperventilating. Can you talk to me? What's wrong, baby?"

I just cried harder and pulled the dog tighter. It was good that it was a projection. I probably would've hurt it if it was real. When had I started crying?

"Did she say anything to you?"

"No…I was coming to ask if she knew anything about the air mattress and I found her like this…What can I do? How can I help? _Can_ we help? That…she doesn't look good…"

"It's happened before. Can you get my bag? I think I have some smelling salts or something in there. If we can shock her a bit, we can probably kick her out of whatever loop she's spiraling down."

Even if Kaiser showed up the next time, what were we supposed to _do_?! Kayden couldn't hurt him. She was already on thin ice. _I_ couldn't hurt him - I _had_ to be the moral one or _everything_ would fall apart instead of just _most_ things. And if Tammi got close then he'd kill _her_. At best, we'd capture him and he'd walk free in a few days because that's what the big capes _did_. They _never_ stayed caught, they _never_ got punished, they _always got away_! Uber, Leet, Lung, Kaiser, Shadow Stalker…

"Aren't shocks like that bad?"

"Her thoughts loop and she talks herself into a downward spiral. We're trying to avoid medicating too heavily because she's worried about becoming dependent on it. If I knew what set her off…"

"Well could it be related to the basement?"

"There's nothing _in_ the basement it's - it's _Danny's_. Fuck. She hasn't stopped to process things until now. Taylor, Taylor, listen to me, your father is _fine_. He's okay, he's in good hands and he's safe. "

"My fault…" Was that my voice? Why was I so _broken_?!

"Hey it is not your fault that Kaiser is a sadistic asshole. Hookwolf was just as bad, probably more. He never believed any of that white supremacist stuff, he just liked hurting people."

"I appreciate the backup Tammi, but that doesn't help. Taylor, nothing that's happened in the past day has been your fault. Not even remotely. It was just bad timing and a sad, petty, little man lashing out. If you need to blame someone, blame me."

I sucked in a breath and jerked upright, my eyes flying open. Kayden was close enough that it had to have been sheer luck that I had avoided cracking her skull with my lurch. Tammi was hovering just behind her, the redhead's hand on my leg. "No! You _saved_ him!"

"And he never would have been in danger if he wasn't dating me," Kayden sighed and shifted, laying her hands on my shoulders and pulling me into a hug. "Sometimes things just happen sweetheart. This is one of those things. No one is at fault and at the end of the day, all that matters is that he's okay."

I dropped my head to her shoulder, sniffling. "But he's going to get away with it…Just like _her_ …"

"Just like who?"

"Tammi, shush, Taylor can explain later when she's feeling better." Kayden squeezed me tighter, the puppy squished between us. "Sophia didn't get away with anything, remember? The DA is prosecuting her. The trial is scheduled and she's already been proven to have violated her parole."

"But - "

"And Madison was expelled the other day. And Emma is getting counseling now. They _didn't_ get away with it. And Kaiser won't either. I swear to you, no matter what happens, he's _not_ getting away with trying to hurt our family."

My hiccups slowed and the shaking bled off. I don't know how long we sat there like that. I didn't particularly care. By the time I pulled back, the light leaking into the room was dim, and I was breathing normally, even if I could still feel the wet streaks on my cheeks. Kayden just smiled at me as I leaned back into the couch, pulling my knees under me and cuddling up to my puppy.

"Better?"

I just nodded.

"I'm going to get dinner started. Call if you need me, okay?" I nodded again. Kayden leaned forward and kissed my temple, ruffling my hair as she stood to walk back into the kitchen.

Turning my gaze to Tammi, I shrank into the couch more, unable to fully meet her eyes. "So, now you know how much of a mess I am. Still want to fight for me? I'm sure we could call Armsmaster if you've changed your mind about me."

Tammi flopped into the couch beside me, throwing her arm over my shoulder and pulling me to the side. I squawked, unbalanced and tipped, my head resting against her shoulder and my bony limbs probably digging into her side. "Tay, we're capes. Capes are fucked up by definition. So you cry a bit. Who gives a shit? Not me. You can be a girl all you want. Cry all you want. I can be…um…Fuck I have no idea how this shit works. What do you call the girl who's the guy in a dyke thing?"

I blinked. I blinked again. "A girl. You call them a girl, Tammi. And dyke isn't a nice word."

"Oh. Hmm. Okay then. Um…Is lesbian okay to use?"

I snorted. That noise quickly increased to a chuckle, which morphed into full blown laughter after another few seconds. Tammi joined in with me while Kayden shouted to us from the kitchen. I let the minion dissipate and I shuffled closer to Tammi, settling in more firmly against her side.

Dad wasn't home, and things weren't perfect. But they weren't horrible either.

Maybe…maybe things were _better_.


	20. PR Problems G.1

**PR Problems G.1**

"Glenn, I don't know how many more ways I can say it, but I'm not doing that."

"It'll be brilliant! You didn't trust me on your costume either if I remember correctly." Glenn Chambers' disturbingly upbeat and perky voice chirped over the video line. It took everything Ethan had not to glare at the Hawaiian shirt-clad man.

"For the last time Glenn, I am not going to publicly reveal that Assault is Madcap just because one teenager let a manipulative asshole delude her into thinking the PRT killed me offscreen."

Glenn sighed and shook his head. "We've been worried about this sort of thing for years, Assault. Not to toot my own horn, but our PR machine is _good_. It's _too_ good sometimes. I leave hints for the smart people who go looking, but more often than not, those people get shouted down as conspiracy theorists. When you couple that with propaganda machines in the intelligent organizations, it's really no wonder that we have young capes and gang members thinking that we are horrible people who quickly make problems vanish. I'm already working on a counter."

"Great. Go with that."

"You're part of that counter, Assault. You might as well be my flagship!"

Ethan groaned. "Glenn! I'm a sarcastic idiot! Piggot hates me most of the time and I swear most of the team here just humors me. What the hell makes me so enticing to you?"

"You're a _good person_." Glenn stood and leaned forward over his desk, far more spry than his bulk would lead one to expect. "Let's be straight with each other, Ethan. You don't realize how rare your enthusiasm and outlook can be among your peer group. The reformed villains are, by and large, unpleasant individuals. You do well with children, you have a sense of humor, the city adores you, you've had a spotless record. You are everything that this program could ask for. You made mistakes, you atoned for them, you've made the world a better place."

"I'm just - "

"You're good with people." Glenn leaned even closer to the camera. "Help me here, Ethan. I'm not going to lie, I want to entice Rune onto the Wards. She'd be a win. If pulling her in would pull in Hardlight or Purity that would be even more wonderful. But that's not why I _need_ this. I _need_ this because we can't let the gangs around the world continue to make up stories about the PRT 'disappearing' ex-villains. The PRT, Protectorate, and Wards _need_ to be viable options for unhappy minions. We cannot alienate people simply because they think we will send them to jail or the Birdcage without fanfare."

Ethan wiped a hand down his face. It made sense. It made too much sense. God he hated PR. Things were so much simpler when he was just knocking over trucks and bull rushing helicopters for cash and ideals. "There has to be someone else."

"No one better placed. You live in Brockton Bay, the city has a reputation. If someone who broke out Birdcage-bound villains could stay on the straight and narrow in such a place - and _thrive_ while doing so - what could others achieve?"

"Shadow Stalker lived here as well."

Glenn scowled, his entire expression darkening. "I warned everyone that that child had no business being in the Wards. That she managed to trigger one of the few teenagers who wouldn't murder the haughty little pyschopath on sight is a near miracle."

Ethan's eyebrows rose. "You know Hardlight asked the Nazis to go after her right?"

Glenn scoffed and sat back waving his hand. "Oh please, you live in Brockton Bay, that's tame. Most people would've shanked her or just gone after her with whatever powers they had. I can twist Hardlight's optics easily enough, missteps included. Plus," he paused and reached over, grabbing a framed photo and holding up so that it filled the entire camera feed, "Cancer Healing Puppies. _Cancer! Healing! Puppies_! I can't beat that! I can't! There is no way! This is the literal Holy Grail of my business. And she's now reformed not one, but _two_ neo-Nazis. I'm having my team take lessons from her, literally, there's a workshop and everything. If I could get her to work for me she'd be a gold mine!"

"You are a strange, strange man, Glenn," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

Glenn chuckled. "You know, if I didn't think it would make things even more volatile, I'd probably be shifting offices over there even now. Especially with the Empire dying. PR is even more important now than ever and you all need help badly."

Ethan grunted. "Is linking my identities really that big a thing?"

"I truly think it is. We're not fighting Brockton Bay, we're fighting a culture. Kaiser is a smart man, but he's not the only smart man out there. If Rune was conned into thinking she was locked into her path like that because we were too good at our jobs…I find myself wondering just how many others I've unknowingly damned."

Glenn shook his head and sighed. "I realize most people we flip aren't runaway success stories, Ethan. But even a surly Hero is still a _Hero_ at the end of the day. And that's better than a morose, frustrated Villain. I just want everyone to understand that there are options."

"I'll…think about it. I don't mind telling people I like or trust, but…This is a big thing, Glenn. I have to talk this over with my wife."

"I completely understand. Please let me know your decision. Either way, I'll be the one to talk with Director Piggot about it for you. I can do that much at least."

"Oh yes, you're _definitely_ doing that much. I'll call you tomorrow."


	21. Twilight 03

**Twilight 03**

"I swear to fucking god, if you snap your head to the side _one more time_ I am calling Kayden and having her _drag_ you home."

I glared at Tammi, my lips thinned into a near non-existent line. "My last experience with school was decidedly not good. I'm jumpy. Sue me."

"Nobody is forcing you to come. You can stay home. Go. Home."

"Hi, Taylor, Taylor's friend." I twisted so fast that I could hear my neck creak. I was halfway through the movement as Carlos' voice registered, though I wasn't able to consciously stop myself until I was already looking at him as he dropped his tray down onto the table across from us. "Wow. You really are on a hair trigger," he said, chuckling. "I thought you were homeschooled now?"

"It's Tammi's first day at Arcadia so I'm here for moral support," I replied. Letting out a slow breath I forced my heartbeat to calm down. Breaking out my pita bread I tried to fake a nonchalant shrug. "Also, apparently with one parent out of town on business and the other working full time, the district has 'concerns' about my studies. Funny, they never cared when I was actually completely unable to study. But noooo, now they care."

"So you're making an effort," he said.

"So I'm making an effort."

"How's that going for you?"

Someone laughed behind me, high pitched and trilling, and _far_ too much like Sophia. I clenched my fist, shut my eyes, and very deliberately took a bite of my sandwich.

"Absolutely _stellar_ ," Tammi spat. "If I can't call Kayden then will you at least let me record you? Don't you have a lawyer now? They can use this as evidence of PTSD or some such bullshit."

"I'm. _Fine_." She didn't have to know about the small puppy that was curled up in the pocket of my hoody. It was well concealed and I could pop it in a moment if anyone looked like they could see it.

"Yeah, I'm calling in support for this," Carlos said, shaking his head. He raised his hand and waved to a nearby table. "Yo, Chris! Get your but over here bro!"

I glanced up and saw a mass of brown hair amble towards us with a tray balanced in one hand and a notebook covered in scribbles in the other. "Why am I switching tables to…oh. Hi, Taylor."

"Hey, Chris." I sighed. "You really don't have to move. I'm probably not going to be here tomorrow."

"Don't scare away new friends. You can't survive with just me and beefcake here. Even if said new friend is a nerd."

" _I'm_ a nerd!" I exclaimed, throwing up my hand and glaring at Tammi again.

Chris set his things down and snorted. "I would fight that remark, but I totally am one too. Hi, I'm Chris."

"Tammi. Taylor apparently has no manners."

"You are infuriating!"

"And you are distracted finally," she smirked at me. I grumbled in reply and dug back into my pita. Tammi just smiled wider and turned to Carlos raising a hand in greeting. "Hey. So you're _definitely_ not my competition then, right? Taylor said so, but well you're here now, and I might as well be direct. Most guys wouldn't invite another guy over if they were interested in throwing their hand into the ring anyway."

Carlos blinked as he stared between me and Tammi. I had to fight the urge to bury my head in my hands. This was almost worse than Winslow. How was this worse than Winslow? How could one person be so embarrassed and survive? Did I have enough blood to keep conscious? It had to be _all_ in my face now with how hot the room had gotten all of a sudden.

"Your competition…? What do you…Oh. Oh you mean. Ooooh."

I couldn't actually see his eyes since I was focused solely on my lunch, but I imagined they were wide as saucers.

"Saw you two together in the ice cream shop on the Boardwalk before the city decided to go insane."

Carlos burst out laughing and my blush must have gone to dangerous levels. "Oh girl, you have no idea. Don't worry about me trying to steal your girlfriend. We were actually talking about our mutual issues with dating in this city considering our own preferences."

"Carlos!" I squeaked. The puppy licked my hand and I scratched its ears. When had I given the little guys tongues? I didn't remember doing that…

Chris glanced up from his notebook, looking at his friend. "Since when are you open about that sort of thing?"

"Since the Empire Eighty Eight has basically disbanded and I don't have to worry about my family being targeted anymore. So it's Tammi right?" he held a hand out and she leaned over to shake it.

"Yup. You sound familiar…Have we met?"

Chris' eyes narrowed as he looked between the two of them, then he centered his eyes on me. Then he groaned and closed the notebook. "Oh jeez, you've been here three hours. That didn't last long."

"What didn't last long?" Tammi asked, frowning. "Wait…I know that hair. Oh. Fucking hell." She groaned and wiped a hand through her hair. Turning to me, she hissed, "You're friends with _Wards_?"

"I almost _was_ a Ward," I hissed back. "Be nice! Carlos and Chris are cool."

Tammi sighed, nodded. "Fine, fine, sorry."

Carlos waved it off. "There's nothing to apologize for. Honestly whoever thought that we should all go to the same school was kind of an idiot. Anyone with more than two brain cells at this school has a pretty good idea of who we are. The covers are paper thin and mostly for the veneer of keeping secrets. Other cities have it easier from what I hear, but this is Brockton Bay."

"Here's to the shithole capital of America," Tammi said, chuckling and raising her drink. The rest of us raised our cups as well in solidarity.

"You know you guys are lucky. Vicky is out today, when she gets back the hurricane will land and you will be swept into her circle or you'll drown. It happens to us all. Good luck my friend. May god have mercy on your soul."

I glared at Carlos and defiantly took a large, obnoxious slurp from my cup. "I don't socialize. I'll be fine. I'm still technically homeschooled so I can always _run_ if I have to."

Chris tapped the table, shook his head and grunted. "Alright fuck it, I can't stay quiet, I have to ask. Tammi, how in the _frozen fires of hell_ did a _Nazi_ go lesbian for a vigilante hero in _Brockton Bay_ of all places?!"

Carlos slapped a hand over his face and groaned. I felt like I should probably be taking some sort of offense to that - somehow. Yet, the shear incredulity in his voice and wonder leaking into his tone pushed it right back over the line into hilarity instead.

Apparently Tammi felt the same way. She was laughing so hard that she was actually holding a hand around her side, a wide grin across her face as she tried to wipe away tears with her other hand. As she finally got some breath back, she managed to wheeze out, "Well, when a girl gives you a puppy, there's only so many appropriate responses, Chris."

The blush that I had finally gotten back under control, roared back with a _vengeance_. "It was _one_ time!" I hissed. "And you were _hurt_!"

"You just keep telling yourself that was the reason, Tay."

She was entirely too smug. Entirely too smug. And Carlos and Chris were zero help. They were just laughing along with her. Traitors.

"If you started dating her because she got you a dog, what'll happen if she gives you a unicorn?" Carlos asked, smirking.

Tammi just waggled her eyebrows.

Traitors. Every. Last. One.

* * *

Class was finally done. I had even managed to make it through the last two classes without my hidden puppy.

Hmm, maybe I should make a name for that particular little guy. Cuddle Bud? Hidden Adorable? Hoodie Secret?

Oh god, I shouldn't be allowed to name things.

"Annnd you're not listening to me at all are you?"

"Hmm? Oh! Sorry, Chris," I said. Shaking my head, I smiled and waved for him to go on. "I was distracted. What were you saying?"

He snorted. "Yeah, I saw. I was just mentioning that if you decide to stick around, there's a book club that meets every Thursday. I know you said your mom was a Lit. professor so I figured it might be interesting if you're into that sort of thing."

"They have clubs at Arcadia?" I asked. I turned back to the school and frowned. "That's…new."

"No, Taylor, that's normal," Tammi said, laughing. "Just because Winslow is a shithole and can't afford the regular stuff that most schools do doesn't mean they aren't _normal_ for most schools."

"You guys didn't have clubs? Jeez, I thought the stories about that place were exaggerated, but I'm starting to think they were undersold."

I shrugged. "Winslow had a lot of gangs. I don't think they wanted to give more outlets for the members to recruit from."

"Backwards logic," Chris sighed. "Tammi how did you even get the transfer here? Isn't the waiting list like super long?"

"Conditions of my newly changed 'extracurricular' activities," she replied.

He grimaced and nodded. Muttering, Chris said, "Wow. So much for the rules."

Tammi just shrugged. "I'm not surprised. The Big Man basically said I was going to be screwed as soon as I left with Taylor so…Yeah, if I get a nice school out of it, I figure things could be worse. You nerds got any music clubs here? I used to play the violin ages ago."

He nodded. "Yeah, though I'd recommend the Garage Band rather than the Concert. The GB are pretty informal; they don't care if you have to run off in the middle of something. The Concerts are a bit snobby."

"How are the Literature people?" I asked.

Chris laughed. "Oh they are _very_ used to folk running off. Vicky's one of their primary contributors and the way that she tells it, you could almost set your watch on local emergencies by when she's giving an impassioned rendition of one soliloquy or another."

Tammi gaped and the three of us came to a halt just before the main gates. "Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying that _Glory Girl_ is in the _Literature_ Club? Collateral Damage Barbie? She's a _nerd_?"

Chris' smirk stretched the bounds of what I considered polite as he nodded. "Oh, indeed. She may seem like a bit of bimbo, but she's really smart and she gets people. She just doesn't know how to hold back. In _anything_. You should hear her Hamlet impression. I don't even like Hamlet and I loved how she talked to Yorick. Dennis described it as her making verbal love to the apple she was using as a stand-in."

I nodded. "Yeah, alas poor Yorik is always a good one when people get into it. Especially if they play it up. You can basically make out with whatever you're holding and it'll be totally within character. I was always more partial to the Seventh Soliloquy though."

"Which one?"

" _How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge!_ " I shrugged, a small smile tugging at my lips. "I liked some others more when I was younger, but that one has resonated with me for a while now. It's basically Hamlet cursing himself for not being able to take his revenge against his murderous uncle."

Tammi looped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to the side. "And on that cheery note, I'm taking her home. Talk to you tomorrow, nerd."

"Bye, Taylor, nice to meet you, Tammi. Taylor, watch out for her!"

"I will!" I yelled back, waving.

As Tammi tugged me down the street, her arm slipped from my shoulder and ghosted down to grip my hand. I dropped my head to try and hide my blush.

"So, um, how come you basically had us running away, Tammi?"

She squeezed my hand and sighed. "You really don't see the parallels, Taylor? I'm not a fancy English person like you, and _I_ saw them."

"What do you mean?"

"Not being able to take revenge? Cursing himself? Angry at the world? Powerless? Ring any bells?" The more Tammi talked the deeper I grimaced.

"I…hadn't thought of it like that. I just…maybe I did see a bit of myself in him."

"You need a new favorite soliloquy. How about the Yorick one? Kissing is good, right?"

I glanced to the side through the curtain of my hair and smiled again as I saw Tammi blushing and looked determinedly forward. Her hand in mine was sweaty. "Kissing is indeed good. Just one problem with that in context with Hamlet and Yorick."

"Yeah? What's that? Cause it only seems like upsides to me."

I leaned over and pecked her on the cheek causing her blush to nearly explode across the rest of her face. "Yorick is just a skull. Hamlet is talking to a skull."

"Oh," Tammi murmured. "You don't say."

"You've never read Hamlet have you, Tammi?"

"…Shut up."

I grinned and leaned into her side as we walked to the bus stop. Maybe this day hadn't been so bad after all.


	22. Daylight 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It's back! I didn't quite get as far in this chapter as I had hoped, but this was a good stopping point. I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter and I apologize for the long hiatus. Hopefully it won't be quite so long before the next chapter is out.

**Daylight 01**

A horn blared outside the car and Kayden slowed to let the insistent car through a gap that hadn't existed a moment earlier. I just breathed out slowly. Even if someone hit us, it shouldn't matter. I was getting faster with the Overlays. I could layer one around all three of us in under a second if needed.

"Ugh, remind me never to read PHO again," Tammi grunted from the backseat.

Kayden snorted while I held a hand over my mouth to suppress my chuckle, the idiot ahead already forgotten. Kayden glanced at Tammi through the rear view mirror, her eyebrows raising. "What are they saying?"

"Ahem. These are direct quotes." She straightened as much as she could, holding one hand over her chest, and the other clutching the phone in front of her. "'Why are they supporting the redemption of neo-Nazis? How does this make sense, people? Let's just toss them in the deepest darkest hole and forget they exist.' 'Well you're forgetting, it's _Redeemed Ex-Nazi Mom_ that we're rooting for. The power of love my friend!' 'That's nothing, I'm cheering for Hardlight and how she flipped Miss Teenage Lesbian Nazi through the power of gay love. Legend would be so proud!' 'Are we sure that either are gay? That's a big assumption considering the origins. Or that Purity and Hardlight are related for that matter?' 'Purity and Hardlight's powers are themed along similar lines. If they aren't related they at least live nearby. Just look at New Wave. As for the other item…Considering the slurs that Crusader was tossing out to Rune just before she gave up and went with Hardlight? And that she _went_ with _Hardlight_ to begin with? I'm going with basically confirmed.' 'Totally. She wants the girl. She flipped because of the power of gay love.'"

Tammi collapsed back into her seat with a groan. "I am disgusted with myself."

I turned, leering, and holding my own phone out towards her. "'Confirmed. I am dating Hardlight. Deal with it bitches.'" I read off, my smirk widening.

Tammi sank deeper into her seat, an arm coming up to cover her face though not before I saw the blush on her face deepen to a cherry red. "I wanted to stop the rumors…"

"And mark your territory apparently," I smirked. I slid my phone back into my pocket and frowned. "Tammi, just for the record, I'm okay with this, but if we break up and you end up dating another girl, make sure that she's out before you go and tell others about her okay?"

Tammi's arm dropped back to her side and she stared at me, waving her hand in the air. "You're, _not_ openly gay, Taylor?"

"The Empire _just_ died, Tammi. It wasn't safe to be a lesbian in this city until a few days ago. A few people know, but I hadn't been very vocal about it. And my alter ego hasn't really been around long enough to get more than rumors and speculation."

"Oh. Uh…"

"I said it's fine." I shook my head and reached back to grab her hand and squeeze it. "I'm happy that you're proud enough to tell others. Really. That's…that's more than I had ever expected from a girl who would want to date me."

Tammi frowned and I caught Kayden's side-look as well. Before either could say anything though, we pulled into the underground parking lot of the PRT building and my mother shut off the car, her face smoothing back into neutrality. "Alright, girls, masks on."

"This is such a bad idea," Tammi muttered even as she slipped on her mask. "Taylor if this goes sideways I'm blaming it on you."

"That's fair," I agreed. "And I'm pretty sure that basically my entire hero career so far has been escalating moments of 'this is a bad idea'. This should, theoretically, be bucking the trend right now."

Kayden nodded. "Don't make the same mistake I did. You want to get yourself down immediately as being helpful, willing to listen, and willing to work together. I tried to go straight for months and people only really noticed a few weeks back."

"Yeah, when you shot me out of the sky," Tammi grumbled. She raised her hands, palms out and shook her head before either of us could say anything. "I know, I know, bad company, hazards of the life; I'm still annoyed though. Can we just get this over with?"

I summoned a puppy on her lap, flashed a smile and got out of the car. Tammi groaned and followed. She didn't let go of the puppy.

As the three of us left the underground lot behind, Kayden led us into a small elevator that took us down towards the basement levels. Within three minutes of parking, we were already sitting in a conference room across from Aegis, Armsmaster, Battery, and Director Piggot.

I blinked as I stared at the PRT Director. She was…thinner. A lot thinner. And her skin had real color now. Her hair didn't look so dead either and she was breathing a lot easier than the last time we had met.

"Is there a reason that you are gaping at me, Hardlight?" the woman asked, her eyebrows lifted and her hands clasping in front of her.

"Sorry, Ma'am, it's just…well…I thought you didn't want to get, you know, healed…"

She worked her mouth for a moment, Aegis groaning to the side, and Kayden slapped a hand to her forehead. I looked towards her. "What?"

"Honey, you literally _flooded_ your father's room with minions the last time we were here. _You_ healed her."

I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth and my eyes widening. I turned back to the Director, grasping for words all while Tammi snickered next to me.

"Wow, that's gotta sting."

"Indeed, Rune, it does," the Director said, her expression not breaking though she did reach up to rub at her temple. "As much as I want to berate you, Hardlight, I do understand negative reactions to trauma. That your projections comfort you is well documented by now. It's partly my fault for walking anywhere near a girl that is known to have little control when she gets emotional. I had already resolved not to seek any sort of recompense. Let us _never_ speak of this again."

"Yes, Ma'am," I squeaked.

"Good. Purity, I understand that you are officially registering a new affiliated team?"

"I am." My mother slid over the paperwork that she had worked up the other night, a large grin spreading on her face as Piggot almost immediately looked up, her eyes wide.

"Is this accurate?"

"It is."

Piggot looked back down, then slid that document to Armsmaster. He read through it and glanced up, a frown on his face. "Why are you changing your name now? You were very adamant previously that your name was Purity and you should not have to change it."

She shrugged. "It's been brought up that I am very bad at optics. Aerial here is going to be using a different application of her power, but she's still going to be known to essentially everyone as a heroically inclined Rune. My daughter has never had the stigma of a sordid past. If both of them are attempting to start clean, I felt I should as well. Everyone is still going to know it's me of course, but this clearly defines that I'm starting over. Doesn't that seem like a good idea?"

"Yes. It just doesn't seem like something you would do."

I grimaced. The man really was exceedingly blunt. "Err, just so we're all clear, Aerial _is_ free to officially sign up with us and the pardon still applies right?"

Battery smiled and nodded. "Yes, Hardlight. While the Wards are always open to either of you if you change your minds, we'd much rather have additional friendly heroic capes in the city, than more villain capes just sitting in jail."

"I really don't understand you people," my girlfriend muttered. "Why do I get this deal, but not others? I worked with the Empire. Bitch just works with dogs and you hunt her _like_ a dog whenever you can."

Armsmaster frowned deeper, leaning forward. "Hellhound has murdered people in the past. You have not. Have you?"

Tammi shook her head. "My family connections let me skip 'initiations'. I wouldn't have joined if I had to do the kinds of things they required…Are you sure Bitch is a murderer? I talked to her when she first showed up in the city. Seemed like she had to actually train her dogs. If they weren't trained when she triggered…"

A smile spread on Piggot's face as she leaned back in her chair. "And already this affiliation is potentially yielding fruit. We'll look into this information, Aerial. Thank you for sharing. Purity, do you want our assistance with announcing your new name?"

My mother sighed. "You're not really asking are you?"

"Not particularly, no."

"In that case, _sure_ , I would _love_ the assistance you can provide with our great reveal party. Shall we make it tonight?"

"How about tomorrow. Tomorrow's Friday after all. Everyone loves good news on Fridays."

Kayden groaned, throwing her hands up into the air. "You're incredibly frustrating to work with."

"I do try. How about you stay here with myself and Armsmaster to work out the details while the teenagers follow Battery to their workout?"

"Fine, just remember, I have to leave within two hours so we have to be done by then."

"Perfectly acceptable."

Kayden turned to me and Tammi. "Both of you remember, if anything at all happens watch each other's back, and either get out of the building any way you can or get back here. Understood?"

I nodded and Tammi held up a thumbs up. I left her a puppy as I got up and followed Battery into the hallway with Tammi right behind me. Aegis fell in next to me.

Leaning over to him, I murmured, "Why did the Director get such a kick out of Purity rebranding herself?"

He shrugged. "When Purity initially tried to go Hero, one of our first suggestions was for her to work with the Protectorate directly. Then when she refused, we told her she should at least change her name. She didn't. People didn't even realize she had stopped working for the Empire for almost a month. I think it wasn't really until two or three weeks before the Bad Canary concert that everyone started figuring out that she was actively separate from her old gang and was at least _trying_."

"I remember that concert," I muttered. "Kayden convinced my dad to invite her here so that the DWU could help with the setup and keeping the streets clear…They made more in the two weeks of prep for that than they had in months."

"Huh," Tammi said. "You think she'd want to come back? Now that the Empire's back is broken, we could frame it like a celebratory concert or something."

"It's probably better as more of just a general benefit concert if you're going to go that route," Aegis said, looking towards her. "It is _weird_ hearing you suggest a concert celebrating the downfall of the Empire Eighty Eight."

Tammi smirked. "Haven't you heard? I'm a lesbian now. Gotta get those fuckers kicked while they're down."

Battery looked over her shoulder, visibly trying for several words before finally managing to speak. "You did not have a pleasant experience with them at all did you?"

"Basically all she did was badmouth them," I said, nodding. "That was _before_ we knew who the other was. In or out of costume."

"What can I say? I'm a rebel."

Aegis and I burst out in chuckles at Tammi's matter-of-fact statement. Battery didn't look reassured as she kept leading us on. I discreetly stepped a bit closer to her and reached out to grab her hand. She kept looking forward - and so did I - but she squeezed my hand tightly all the same.

The minion in her other arm squirmed around enough to lick her face. Tammi chuckled again, her death grip on my hand loosening ever so slightly. She'd be fine. I was going to make sure of it.

I just had to make sure my problems didn't spill over onto her in the process.


End file.
